Rodríguez Decision Expected Today
Sometime after 9:00am this morning a decision by Superior Ccourt judge Gabriela Jara will make her decision known on where former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez will remain under house arrest or be sent to the La Reforma prison.

Today's Stories: Rodríguez Decision Expected Today Figueres Keeping Quiet New Anticorruption Law Official "There Is Only One China" Potholes in the streets? Get used to it.

Arias Óscar Appeals to Television Viewers Arias Sanchez, former president of Costa Rica and the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner, went on national television last night to announce his plan to restructure the PLN party following allegations of wrongdoing by former president Figueres Olsen, who was thrown out of the party earlier in the day. Arias told viewers that is was up to him to "rescue" the party which has been around began following the war of '48, to fight poverty and corruption. Arias assured his audience that he has never been offered nor has he ever asked for any kickback or commission of any kind. However, news came yesterday, before the television airing, that the Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Desarrollo Humano received us$1.3 million dollars from the government of Taiwan, this according to the director of the foundation, Luis Alberto Cordero. According to Cordero, the Taiwanese contribution represents 7% of all revenue for the foundation which began in 1987, founded by ex-president and Nobel Prize winner and current presidential pre-candidate, Óscar Arias. The foundation says it has received about us$19 million dollars from donations from different government and organization to finance it's activities. Cordero explained that the first Taiwanese donation came in 1988 and continued until April of this year.

Rodríguez has been under house arrest for the last 13 days, after a penal court judge ordered him under house arrest for six months, rejecting the request by the Fiscalía for nine months of preventive detention (jail).

The Fiscalía appealed the lower court's decision and thus a hearing was convened for yesterday morning, where both sides appeared before Superior Curt judge to make their arguments.

The Fiscalía argued that Rodríguez is a flight risk and that he will impede their investigation if allowed to stay under house arrest, where he has access to visits, a telephone and the internet.

Rodríguez's lawyer argued that the former president came back to Costa Rica on his volition to face justice and cannot be deemed a flight risk.

Rodríguez is also appealing the lower court judge's order to post a ¢250.000.000 colones bond, which was to have been done with 10 days of his arrest.

Rodríguez was escorted yesterday morning by a group of Judicial officials and under heavy police security taken to the Goicochea court house, where in handcuffs, waited in the OIJ jail cells for his appearance before the court.

Several hours later he was, again under heavy police security, escorted back to his apartment in Vargas Araya, Montes de Oca, in San Pedro to await the judge's decision.

Neither side can further appeal the decision by judge Jara, save than in three months time the Rodríguez detention must be reviewed by courts.

Figueres Keeping Quiet
Party colours and sides don't seem to matter anymore, as both major parties - the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) and the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN) - have both been shaken up with accusations of wrongdoing and corruption.

The latest case involving former president José María Figueres Olsen (PLN)has stirred anger from all sectors of public and private life, from President Abel Pacheco to all Costa Ricans from all walks of life.

The Figueres Olsen case is somewhat different than that of former presidents Calderón and Rodríguez (both of the PUSC) in that Figueres Olsen received payment for consulting services after leaving public officer, while Calderón and Rodríguez got paid while in office or later in relation to decisions and appointments related to their public charge.

According to Juan Diego Castro, lawyers for Figueres Olsen, his client is not under any obligation to return to Costa Rica as there are no charges of any wrongdoing. He told the press that "his client got paid for services after he left office and not related to his presidency, and that is the major difference to the others".

According to Castro, Figueres Olsen has committed no illegal act and at best he would owe an explanation as to why he was paid such a high fee. Casto said, "only the Ministerio Público can know if the payment is outside the boundaries the Penal Code."

The Ministerio Público is the public body that has the authority to carry out an investigation and present any charges. Thus, it is not publicly known is the Ministerio Público is carrying out any investigation of Figueres Olsen or what plans they have to get to the bottom of the accusations against the former president.

New Anticorruption Law Official
With the objective to detect and punish dishonesty in public functionaries, the new anti corruption law "Ley contra la corrupción y el enriquecimiento ilícito" comes into effect today.

The law was published in yesterday's edition of the official newspaper "La Gaceta", at a time when Costa Rica has been shaken with one sandal after another, which has left so far in it's wake two ex-presidents implicated, a score of former public functionaries and businessmen facing charges of corruption, influence peddling and illegal enrichment.

Now, it will be a crime both for public functionaries to receive bribes and for those willing to pay for special favours or influence a public official.

With the new law, a public employee can be immediately dismissed without severance, as well as a three to six years prison for any person who benefits personally form any contract, agreement or appointment against the common interest and use and destination of public funds.

The law was approved by the Legislative Assembly five years ago, however, it was approved in the first round of debate May 20 of this year. It was in mid September when the law came up for second round of debate and approved earlier this month.

The Imprenta Nacional has published a special edition that details the specific points of the new law, that will be available for sale.

"There Is Only One China"
On Thursday afternoon China's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue, was asked at a regular press conference what's China's comment on the case of political contributions involving Taiwan and the former president of Costa Rica.

Qiyue replied, "China's foreign policy is consistent. We are willing to develop friendly relations with all foreign countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

The attempt of the Taiwan authorities to promote 'One China, One Taiwan' is unpopular in the world. There is only one China in the world.

Both Taiwan and the mainland are parts of one China. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Any parties who attempt to split the country, with money or whatever other means, will not succeed.

Potholes in the streets? Get used to it.
Ministro de Hacienda (Revenue Minister), Federico Carrillo, says there is no money to repair the potholes in the streets.

His ministry has an order to hand over some ¢9.000.000.000 colones to the municipalities to repair the streets, that in some cases are un-drivable.


Typical pothole on roads and highways

The mayors are not happy with response, claiming they are the ones who have to answer dozens of daily complaints over potholes. The Unión de Municipalidades is preparing measures to force the payment.

The same problem is being lived on the national roads like the Inter American highway that connects Costa Rica to it's neighbours, Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South.

Some stretches of the highway reduces traffic to a crawl as drivers try to avoid the potholes. The Ministro de Transportes is claiming the same thing, there is no money for the repairs.