Thursday 09 October 2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Chinchilla Resigns As VP
To Run For President In 2010
Mud Slinging
Begins Following Chinchilla Resignation
Announcement
Chinese President To
Visit In November
First
Cruise Ship Of The Season Docks At Limón
Bilingual Job Fair
Begins Today
María José
Sings Her Heart Out
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Mud Slinging Begins
Following Chinchilla
Resignation Announcement
Minutes following Laura
Chinchilla's resignation
as the country's
vice-president to seek
out the Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN)
party nomination for the
2010 presidential
elections, declared
candidates, San José
mayor, Johnny Araya and
former ministro de
Seguridad, Fernando
Berrocal, did not wast
time to launch an attack
against doña Laura.
Taking advantage that
doña Laura cannot
legally make any
political statements or
rebuttals until the
Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) -
Supreme Elections
Tribunal - confirms her
resignation, which is
expected by Friday, both
Berrocal and Araya began
the mud throwing.
The main point of
criticism by the two
declared candidates is
the support that doña
Laura is getting from
Costa Rican president,
Oscar Arias, who earlier
this year said that he
favours a woman taking
over his seat in 2010.
Arias was reprimanded by
the TSE for his comments
and has been keeping
quiet since, publicly at
least.
Berrocal for his part
said he welcome Laura's
decision to run for the
party leadership which
contest officially
begins on January 18 and
closes with the
selectiono of a
candidate at the party
convention set for the
first Sunday in June
2009.
Although Berrocal's
comments were positive,
he did go on saying that
now we can start to
compete on even ground.
Berrocal also took the
opportunity to throw mud
at his other declared
competitor, saying that
Araya will want to keep
his seat as mayor of San
José as long as possible
(until January) to get
the most public support
he can while in public
office, inferring at the
taxpayers cost, before
stepping down.
As to Chinchilla,
Berrocal said that he
hopes the Poder
Ejecutivo (executive
power) will keep their
hands out of the
campaign and stop using
money from its
co-operation with China
to hand out ¢250 million
colones to the local
municipalities "which
are tantamount to a
political end".
"I hope that the Poder
Ejecutivo is not going
to use that money to
influence and neutralize
the mayors to turn on
support for Laura",
added Berrocal.
Berrocal obtained only a
3% support from the PLN
party members.
Araya, who is second to
favourite Laura, was
also clear in saying
that he hopes that,
although he will
continue to support
Oscar Arias and his
initiatives, he has no
problem with denouncing
the government even for
the slightest intention
of support for Laura.
"I will not hesitate
even a moment to
denounce any government
pressure on mayors,
parliamentarians and
community leaders" said
Araya.
Araya added that he sees
the decision by 18 PLN
legislators to sign a
letter of support for
Laura as a form a
pressure by the Poder
Ejecutive. However,
Araya denied any worry
over Laura getting that
kind of support.
Both Araya and Berrocal
said that they are
willing to run a clean
pre-campaign and
prepared for intense
discussions on finding
solutions to the
collective problems.
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Declared PLN party presidential nomination hopeful,
Fernando Berrocal. |
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