Government Forced To Ask US For
Another Postponement In
TLC
Ratification
Once again Costa Rica is
making history as the
only country to ask for
a postponement in the
delay in implementing
the Tratado Libre de
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States - not only
once, but twice, as it
is evident it cannot
meet the October 1
deadline.
Costa Rica is being
forced to once again ask
for a delay following
the Sala Constitucional
(Constitutional Court)
decision on Thursday,
overturning the
"intellectual property
law", one of the
'parallel' laws that
form part of the trade
deal and demanded by the
US.
The Constitutional Court
ruled that lawmakers
improperly passed the
bill - which included
provisions on
biodiversity - without
consulting Indian
groups.
Costa Rica is the only
signatory country to the
trade to not have
ratified, while the
other Central American
countries and the
Dominican Republic have
enacted their respective
deals.
The intellectual
property law is the only
piece of legislation and
stumbling block in the
trade deal, as the other
12 laws have all been
approved.
The Court ruling was a
victory for TLC
opponents who have tried
to block the trade
deal's approval with
court appeals.
Legislator Mayi Antillon
of the ruling Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN)
said it would be
"practically impossible"
for lawmakers to pass a
revamped version of the
bill in time to meet the
deadline.
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