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PAC Cautious Going
Into Today's Meeting With the Arias
Brothers
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PAC Cautious Going Into
Today's Meeting With the
Arias Brothers
The Partido Acción
Ciudadana (PAC) says it
will approach today's
meeting with Costa Rican
president, Osacr Arias
and his brother, the
ministro de la
Presidencia, Rodrigo
Arias, with caution.
The meeting is scheduled
for 12:30pm at Casa
Presidencial in Zapote
between Ottón Solís,
leader of the PAC and
PAC party members to
discuss the government's
plans post the
referendum vote on the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States.
The meeting was called
by Arias sending a
letter to the PAC
following the "Sí" win.
Elizabeth Fonseca, head
of the PAC party, said
yesterday they will
arrive at the meeting
with an open mind and
listen to the
governments proposals
with respect to the
legislative timetable
following the approval
to ratify the trade
deal.
The leader of the PAC
party bench in the
Legislative Assembly
considers today's
meeting the beginning of
a process of dialogue
between the PAC and the
government.
However, Fonseca was
quick to add that there
will be no agreements
made at today's meeting
of anything, especially
over the parallel laws
that need to be approved
prior to the
ratification of the TLC.
"The country can't
expect anything major
out of a meeting like
this, because it is
impossible", said
Fonseca.
The PAC party holds 17
seats in the Legislative
Assembly and according
to Fonseca will insist
that the parallel laws
proposed protect the
country.
"If the TLC goes into
effect one day, the
people have to be
protected better from
the damage the agreement
can cause", said
Fonseca.
Fonseca added that it is
important that
government understand
that the country is
divided on the issue and
that the country belongs
not only to the "Sí" and
it should take the PAC
seriously because it
represents at least
750.000 Costa Ricans who
voted against the TLC.
The "No" has to still
accept defeat over
Sunday's vote and is
waiting the outcome of
the manual count of all
votes, which is expected
to be completed within
two weeks.
Ottón Solís, PAC party
leader and promoter of
the "No" has not yet
accepted defeat either,
but is moving away from
the hardliners of the
"No" movement, taking a
more conciliatory role,
saying that his party
will use a magnifying
glass to look at all the
parallel laws the
government is proposing
before the March 1, 2008
TLC ratification
deadline.
For her part, Mayi
Antillón, leader of the
Liberación Nacional
(ruling party)
legislative members, she
hopes that following
today's meeting the PAC
will continue positively
to discuss the
legislative agenda.
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Elizabeth Fonseca, leader of the PAC
legislative party members. |
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