The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, April 07, 2003

ARIAS IN '06? The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) Friday reinstated the right of former presidents to run for reelection. The ruling paves the way for former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias (1986-1990) to run for office in 2006.
Tico Times/AFP

April 07

Folklore Show
Folklore group Cantares will entertain the public with music, couples, anecdotes, word games, etc., every Saturday, 9 p.m., Pueblo Antiguo, Parque Nacional de Diversiones, 2 km. west of Mexico Hospital. Info: Reservations required at 290-3035.

Cuban Film Festival
April 7-10, 6 p.m., Centro de Cine, Av. 9, Ca. 11. Info: 222-9329.

Caribbean Music Concert
Tonight, famous tunes by Manuel Moneste and his group at 6 p.m. at the Monteverde Music Festival at Monteverde Institute, next to the Cheese Factory. Info: 645-5030.

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Supreme Court
Reinstates Reelection

The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) Friday reinstated the right of former presidents to run for reelection by annulling a 1969 amendment to the country's constitution, which had banned the practice. The ruling paves the way for former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias (1986-1990) and seven other former presidents to run for office in 2006.

The Sala IV had agreed to address an injunction filedby Costa Rican constitutional law scholar Ruben Hernández, which alleged that the 1969 reform of article 132 of the constitution outlawing reelection violated the fundamental rights of former presidents.

Hernández argued that Congressional reforms to the constitution could only increase or preserve the basic rights of citizens and weren't allowed to curtail them. In his opinion, the reform had taken away rights granted to former presidents by the Constitution when it was originally drafted in 1948. In that sense, the reform was unconstitutional and should be overturned.

Arias was pleased with the court ruling and is expected to announce his plans to run for office in 2006 in the coming months.

Over the last three years, Arias has repeatedly expressed his desire to run for the presidency once more. In 2000, to garner support for his cause, he conducted an independent plebiscite in most parts of the country and filed an injunction before the Sala IV, which was narrowly rejected.

"As a lawyer, I've always believed that Costa Rica is a country that respects the law," Arias stated over the phone to a TV news program Friday evening. "Thank God. We must respect the ruling."

-AFP

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Pacheco in El
Salvador Today

San Salvador (AFP) - Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco arrived in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, yesterday evening for two days of official meetings with his Salvadorean counterpart Francisco Flores.

Among the main topics the leaders plan to discuss will be the results of the third round of free-trade negotiations between Central America and the U.S. (CAFTA), which took place last week in San Salvador.

Pacheco and Flores will also discuss the agenda for the upcoming meeting between Central America's Presidents and U.S. President George W. Bush on April 11 in Washington D.C.

Pacheco was accompanied on this trip by with his wife Leila Rodríguez, Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar, Environment Minister Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Foreign Trade Minister Alberto Trejos, Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castro, and a dozen Costa Rican business leaders, who will meet with Salvadorean counterparts to discuss potential business opportunities.

-AFP

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Government Reaffirms Decision Not to Negotiate
Privatization of Telecommunications in CAFTA

Foreign Trade Minister Alberto Trejos Saturday reaffirmed the government's promise not to privatize the Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE) or eliminate the institution's monopoly on telecommunications as part of Central America's Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

"Costa Rica will not negotiate the opening of its telecommunications market, not will it privatize ICE," Trejos explained in an interview published in Saturday's edition of the daily La Nación.

During the third round of CAFTA negotiations in San Salvador last week, the U.S. issued a proposal requesting the five Central American countries involved in the treaty (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica) open-up their telecommunications market to foreign competition. The proposal will be discussed during the next round of negotiations in Guatemala in May.

Trejos insisted that in the past he and President Abel Pacheco have made it clear to U.S. trade negotiators that telecommunications is a sensitive issue for Costa Rica and will not be addressed during the trade talks.

However, Costa Rica cannot stop the other Central American countries from discussing the issue and reaching their own agreement with the U.S, he said.

During the interview, Trejos admitted the Costa Rican government is willing to lower tariffs on several agricultural products, including chicken and milk, despite the fact that U.S. exports of these products are heavily subsidized by their government.

-AFP

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