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Referendum One Step
Closer
At 9:28pm and with the vote of
Libertarian, Mario Núñez, the
required 29th vote was obtained
for approval of sending the
request by Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias, for the
Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE)
to hold a referendum on the
Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC)
- free trade agreement with the
United States. Central America
and the Dominican Republic.
The marathon session that began
earlier in the afternoon, one by
one, all 53 legislators present
had an opportunity to have their
say on the proposal, with the
voting beginning at 6:04pm.
Each legsilator had 10 minutes
to justify his or her vote for
either in favour or against the
referendum.
The vote in favour means that
the people will soon have their
chance to decide on the future
of the trade issue.
The referendum is now clearly on
the shoulders of the TSE, which
it has 15 days to resolve two
outstanding issues - the
question of the 130.000
signatures that former deputy
and presidential candidate, José
Miguel Corrales, says that are
required, and what is the
required percentage of
participation, 30% or 40%?
Corrales had made the petition
to the TSE on the question of a
referendum, with the elections
court deciding that it would not
oppose a referendum. The former
deputy, however, says that the
referendum should be held not on
the request of Arias and his
government decree, but rather on
the collection of 133.000
signatures over the next 10
months.
Once the TSE resolves those
issues and decides to adopt last
nights vote, it can then set a
date for the public vote on the
trade deal, which is expected
either in August or September.
Costa Rica has until March of
2008 to approve the TLC and put
in practice.
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