Arias Signs Decree For Ethical Conduct of Public Officials
President Óscar Arias Sánchez, and the Ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias, yesterday signed a decree that would guarantee an ethical conduct by heads of state organizations. The decree includes members of the Consejo de Gobierno and will come into force once it is published in the official government publication, La Gaceta.

The decree will ensure that the president can fulfill some of his campaign promises, one of which was running a clean government. The documents sets out the principles and procedures to be abided by heads and officials of government agencies like the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) and the Refinadora Costarricense de Petroleo (Recope).

Artilce 1 of the document makes it clear that a public official must make his decision solely based on the best interest for the public.

The document establishes the concept of "integrity" that advise against public officials maintaining financial obligations with persons or organizations that could come into conflict with the best interest of the public.

The document also includes a provision for the "rendición de cuentas" - giving an accounting for actions - before the public and the press. The idea is to provide leadership in an "honest" and "rational" manner.

The document once it is force will require all public officials to provide, in writing, any possible conflicts of interest, including family contacts. In addition, public officials will be required to abstain from decision that will personally benefit them, their spouse, family and close friend, including a live-in companion. Family members mean to include up to second cousins by blood or marriage.

Public officials will also be required to separate themselves from their position in the case of a charge made by a Tribunal (criminal court).

To ensure that the letter of the document will be followed by all public officials, the government has created a Comisión de Ética (Ethics Commission) made up of three "members of the highest level".

The major force of the commission will be that any person can make a charge against a public official to the commission. All complaints will be sent to the Procuraduría de Ética Pública who will consider if the complaint has merits and take the appropriate action against the public official.