A Woman President? Arias
Believes It Possible
Costa Rican president,
Oscar Arias, says he
believes that the
country is ready for a
woman president, the
same as it has been in
Panama and Nicaragua and
in Argentina and Chile
in South America.
"Other countries will
less political culture
as ours have had, like
Nicaragua (Violeta
Barrios, 1990-1997)",
said Arias.
Mishelle Bachelet in
Chile and Cristina
Fernández in Argentina
have both won the
presidential seat on
their own merits, said
Arias.
The question was put to
Arias by the Spanish
daily La Nación while on
route to Nicaragua on
Friday following his
comments in Cañas,
Guanacaste, days earlier
during celebrations of
the International
Women's Day, where he
say that he would like
to hand over his
presidential chair to a
woman in 2010.
"There are more women
than men in
universities. And, well,
women have more virtues,
some better than men. No
one can dispute their
intelligence and
preparation, because
they have demonstrated
such in public and
private sector
positions. But much more
they have superior
ethical values. They are
more transparent, more
honest", said Arias in
Managua.
Arias was questioned
about the noticeable
increase in the public
presence of Costa Rica
vice-president and
ministra de Justicia,
Laura Chinchilla.
Chinchilla has been in
the forefront of many
official government
activities and is seen
as a possible
presidential candidate
in 2010 or 2014.
Chinchilla, now 47, was
named first vice
president by Arias in
2006 and is in her
second term as ministra
de Justicia (Justice
minister). |
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