TSE Authorizes
Collection of Signatures
For New Referendum
The Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) -
elections tribunal - has
authorized the printing
of the forms to collect
signatures for a new
referendum, which
requires at least
130.000 signatures
before it can take
place.
TSE rules dictate that
the organizers must
collect signatures from
at least 5% of the
registered voters and
will have nine months to
do so with an extension
of 30 days if necessary.
Luis Antonio Sobrado,
president of the TSE,
said yesterday that is
now up to the interested
group to meet the
requirements to call for
a new referendum now
that the form has been
approved and will be
printed.
Last November 13, a
group of citizens led by
Fabián Pacheco Rodríguez,
president of the
Federación Costarricense
para la Conservación del
Ambiente (Fecon), and
son of former president
Abel Pacheco
(2002-2006), asked the
TSE for authorization to
collect signatures for a
new referendum for Costa
Ricans to approve or
reject the Ley de
Protección a las
Obtenciones Vegetales y
del Convenio
Internacional UPOV, one
of the "parallel" laws
required for the
ratification of the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States.
The TLC must be ratified
by the Legislative
Assembly by March 1,
2008.
Although the TSE has
authorized the
collection of signatures
that could lead to a
referendum vote, such
public vote may not have
any effect after the law
has been passed and is
in effect.
The TSE has to budget
¢1.5 billion colones for
any eventual public vote
that may take place
under the referendum
rules. |
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