Sunday 12 October 2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Calderón For President.
Maybe.
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Calderón For President.
Maybe.
Former president Rafael
Ángel Calderón Fournier
was very pleased at the
news that the Partido
Unidad Socialcristiana (PUSC)
has paved the way for
his eventual candidature
for the presidential
elections in 2010.
Calderón, who served as
president of Costa Rica
from 1990 to 1994,
despite of charges of
corruption pending
against him, has openly
expressed his possible
intention for running
for re-election.
In 2004, Calderón was
charged with receiving
bribes for his role in
the Fischel-Caja
scandal, when million
from a multi-million
dollar contract for the
purchase of medical
equipment for Costa
Rica's social security
allegedly ended up in
accounts controlled by
Calderón and executives
of the largest
pharmaceutical chain in
Costa Rican, the Fischel.
Calderón was
incarcerated in October
2004, released under
house arrest and
currently is waiting
trial, according to the
former president, that
will vindicate him and
allow him to return to
the political arena.
During the party's
Asamblea Nacional
(National Assembly) on
Saturday it ratified the
reforms to allow the
former president to run
for the party
nomination.
The vote was 46 in
favour and one against
to removing the
prohibition that denied
any aspiring candidate
to run if they had
pending trial. The
prohibition had been a
way for party militants
to deny Calderón his
possible candidature.
The Assembly also voted
in favour of removing
the requirement of any
candidate to open their
bank accounts.
Although Calderón has
been hinting that he is
interested in running
for president in 2010,
he has not officially
made an announcement
seeking the PUSC party
nomination or that he
will definitely run.
Costa Rica's political
constitution was amended
to allow a president to
be re-elected, a
prohibition that had
been in place since
1969.
Current president Oscar
Arias initiated the
amendment that allowed
re-elections. F ollowing
a series of defeats
before being approved,
Arias ran for president
2006, winning by a
narrow margin. Arias
first governed from 1986
to 1990.
Calderón is trial is
expected to be held next
year.
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