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Corrected
story
Most Ticos Favour TLC Refrendum, According
to TV Poll
While the Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) waits approval
by the Legislative Assembly for
approval to hold a referendum on
the Tratado de Libre Comercio
(TLC) - free trade deal with the
United States - the local
television news teams have been
doing their own poll.
According to the channel 7's
Telenoticias, 89.2% of Costa
Ricans would vote in the
referendum on
the trade deal.
The poll was taken on the
Tuesday morning news telecast
and the station is saying that
it is a fair representation that
the majority of Costa Ricans are
positive about entering the
global markets promised by the
TLC.
Last week, Costa Rican president
Oscar Arias signed a
presidential decree that would
allow a referendum on the TLC,
following a decision by the TSE
to allow the public vote. Arias
sent the decree to the
Legislative Assembly yesterday,
even though the credit for the
TSE decision goes to former
presidential candidate, José
Miguel Corrales, who petitioned
the TSE for a decision on a
referendum.
For his part, the president of
the Legislature, Francisco
Antonio Pacheco, is confident
that the legislators - the same
legislators who have been
dragging their feet on the trade
deal - will approve the decree
and permit the public to cast
their vote.
The government decision on the
referendum has sparked another
controversy, those opposed to
the TLC say that 130.000 should
be collected and presented to
legislators rather than the
government making that decision.
The decision by the government
to hold the referendum takes the
responsibility off the shoulders
of the politicians and
legislators. The opposition, who
have been successful in stalling
the trade deal over the past
year or more.
Pacheco added that he will be
holding talks with the leaders
of the different parties in the
legislature and assures to have
the necessary 29 votes to
approve the referendum and send
it to the TSE, who will have the
last say and set the date for
the holding of the public vote.
Unlike the rules of presidential
and public office elections, the
referendum can be won, either
way, by one vote.
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