Labour Unions Say They Won't Recognize Arias as President if Elected
By Antonio Briceño, Insidecostarica.com

Numerous labour unions, civic organizations and lobby groups got together this past week at the Melico Salazar Theatre, in downtown San José, to discuss the impending presidential candidacy of former president Dr. Oscar Arias as well as the upcoming debate for approval of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

All of the organizations agreed that if Arias were to be elected President, they will not recognize the election and will launch public protests on a nationwide scale and take to the streets.

They are basing their decision upon, what they consider was, an illegitimate ruling on behalf of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, also known as Sala IV, which to them represents a sort of judicial coup d’état and an affront to democracy.

They also argue that Oscar Arias is a staunch supporter of the recently signed CAFTA, and is, by doing so, selling out Costa Rican sovereignty.


They agreed to protest, by all means possible, if the trade agreement reaches Congress, in order to stop its approval.

Oscar Arias, who was President from 1986 -1990, who  was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987, argued before the Supreme Court that re-election in Costa Rica had been banned by a constitutional amendment in the late 60’s but that the way this amendment was carried out by Congress did not correspond with the requirements that are established to change the Costa Rican Constitution.

He therefore said that the reform to prohibit re-election should be annulled because its very procedure was incorrect. It turned out that his argument was true, because the day that reform was made, there were not enough members of congress present to validate the decision.

The Supreme Court considered his argument valid and proceeded to declare the nullity of the reform, thus allowing re-election to be possible once again.

The opposing organizations feel this was an affront to the Costa Rican institutions as well as to democracy, which they say entitles them to not recognize his presidency if he is elected.

These groups represent the vast majority of labour unions and civic organizations in the country, such as the National Civic Movement, the ICE Labour Union, the Union of Public Workers, the Association of Judicial Workers, the Union of Oil Workers and over 30 other groups.

Their spokesman, Jose Luis Vega, declared that they would not stop nor would they concede an inch of ground if this occurs.