Thursday 15 January 2009, San José, Costa
Rica
500 New Homes Need
To Be Built Following Earthquake, Says
Housing Minister
Experts Say Poás
Volcano Activity Normal
Obama Raises Costa Rican
Hopes of Renegotiating
TLC
Public Workers Get 6.9%
Raise
Chinchilla To
Officially Announce Today Her
Presidential Aspirations
¢40.000 Required
For School Supplies
INS Won't Insure
Properties in Central
Valley
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Chinchilla To Officially
Announce Today Her
Presidential Aspirations
Former Costa Rican
vice-president, Laura
Chinchilla, is expected
to officially place her
name in the running for
the leadership of the
Partido Liberación
Nacional (PLN) in the
2010 presiential
elections. Fernando
Berrocal did the same on
Tuesday, while San Jose
mayor, Johnny Araya
signed up yesterday.
The PLN will hold its
national convention on
June 7 to pick its
leader. Chinchilla is
the favourite for the
nomination, although in
the latest polls Johnny
has been shown to be a
strong rival.
Laura had planned a big
event in the Parque
Morazán today to make
her candidature
official, however,
decided against it in
solidarity for the
affected of the last
week's earthquake. Thus,
the Chinchilla entrance
into the race will be
without fanfare.
Laura, who will turn 50
this March, resigned as
the country's
vice-president to make
her bid for the
presidency and to
continue with the "Arismo"
movement, promoting many
of the political ideas
of Oscar Arias.
Last year the opposition
party, the Partido
Acción Ciudadana (PAC),
accused Arias for
political belligerence
when he made public his
opinion of wanting to
see a woman follow his
presidency. Arias was
told by the Tribunal
Supremo de Elecciones
(TSE) to keep his
political comments to
himself while still in
office.
Laura has had a long
political career which
includes holding the
post of ministra de
Seguridad Pública in the
José María Figueres
(94-98) administration
and a PLN legislator
between 2002 and 2006,
before assuming the
first vice-presidency in
the current
administration.
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Laura Chinchilla with Costa
Rica president, Oscar Arias.
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