Arias Keeps Stable
Numbers
(Angus Reid Global
Monitor) - Many people
in Costa Rica remain
content with their
president’s performance,
according to a poll by
Demoscopía published by
Al Día. 38.6 per cent of
respondents think Óscar
Arias has done a good or
very good job in leading
the country.
Arias - a member of the
National Liberation
Party (PLN) - won the
February 2006
presidential election
with 40.92 per cent of
all cast ballots. Arias
headed the government
from 1986 to 1990, and
was able to run again
after the Costa Rican
Legislative Assembly
opted to bring back
presidential re-election
in 2003. He was sworn in
for the second time in
May 2006.
In May 2004, Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras and Nicaragua
agreed to the Central
American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) with
the United States. The
Dominican Republic
followed suit in August.
The agreement - which
would reduce or
eliminate taxes and
tariffs on imports -
must be approved by each
country’s legislative
branch. To date, Costa
Rica remains the only
country that has not
ratified the CAFTA.
On Apr. 13, Arias
announced that Costa
Ricans would be asked in
a referendum whether
they want the country to
ratify the CAFTA or not.
The plebiscite—which can
only be binding if at
least 40 per cent of
registered voters take
part—is scheduled for
Oct. 7.
Earlier this month,
Arias referred to the
divisive nature of the
upcoming plebiscite,
saying, "On Oct. 7, we
will vote in a
referendum that has
dangerously split the
country and, as
Evangelicals say, ‘No
house that is divided
amongst itself will
prevail.’ We have to
unite not in favour of
one option or the other
on paper, but in favour
of Costa Rican
democracy."
Polling Data
How would you rate Óscar
Arias Sánchez’s
performance as
president?
| |
Jul. 2007 |
Feb. 2007 |
Sept. 2006 |
|
Good / Very Good |
38.6% |
38.5% |
20.2% |
|
Average |
46.4% |
47.3% |
56.9% |
|
Bad / Very Bad |
14.4% |
11.4% |
15.8% |
Source: Demoscopia / Al
Día
Methodology: Interviews
to 908 decided voters in
Costa Rica, conducted
from Jul. 19 to Jul. 28,
2007. Margin of error is
3.5 per cent. |
