Former Presidents Calderón and Rodríguez Can Rejoin PUSC Party Politics
Following almost three years of outside of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) party politics, former Costa Rican presidents, Rafael Angel Calderón and Miguel Angel Rodríguez, could soon be back in the rank and file of the party.

The decision to ask the former presidents to come back to the party was taken by the PUSC executive committee, confirmed party president, Luis Fishman.

"We revoke an earlier agreement and ask that they rejoin the party", said Fishman.

The two former presidents were removed from being members of the party in a decision by the PUSC party ethical committee back in November of 2004, applying article 39 of the party constitution that suspended the membership of Calderón and Rodríguez.

The two former presidents have been battling corruption charges for the past three years, Rodríguez for his involvement in the ICE-Alcatel and Calderón in the Fischel-CCSS scandals, both being accused of receiving payoffs involving government contracts. The two men shared, for a short time, adjoining cells in a La Reforma prison cell block while under "preventive detention", which was later reduced to house arrest. The two are now on bail waiting their day in court.

Calderón decided to the press cameras on the issue is Calderón, while Rodríguez preferred to send a written statement.

Calderón said he will definitely rejoin the party and is happy to be asked back and the move is sending a message to all Costa Ricans that we are a democracy, a state of rights, and that we are all innocent until proven the contrary.

Rodríguez, for his part, wrote "It is good that the PUSC is correcting its error of the part, when not even getting a call, or listening to me, within hours of being accused, and without investigating, they unilaterally condemned me and suspended me from their ranks.

This action taken two years, seven and half months ago, violated more values of our tradition of liberty and democracy, crossed over grossly the due process and my rights...", said Rodríguez in his letter.

The decision to reinstate the former presidents as members of the party means they can now take an active part in party politics and activities.