The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, May 20, 2003

PLAYING HARDBALL: PAC boss Otton Solis finally says "adios" to renegade lawmakers.
AFP/TT

May 20

Conference
"Nanotecnología e Investigación en el Siglo XXI Presented by Dr. Fernando Briones, at 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center, Av. 13, Ca. 31. Info: 257-2919.

Stravaganza
Music of XVII for soprano, flutes, and other instruments performed by Zamira Barquero, Katia Calderón, Luis Carlos Hernández, Tania Vicente, María Clara Vargas, at 7 p.m., School of Music, University of Costa Rica. Info: 207-5565.

Film
Everyone is invited to watch the movie "8 ½," by Federico Fellini at 7 p.m., School of Fine Arts, University of Costa Rica. Info: 207-4271.

Return To Top Of Page

PAC Slams Door on Defected Deputies
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

Almost three months after a group of Citizen Action Party (PAC) deputies left the party to form their own Patriotic Parliamentary Bloc, the party's leadership yesterday released a 19-point communiqué that recognizes the "total and irrevocable" separation of the six "dissident deputies," and censures the defectors as "traitors."

On Feb. 24, eight of Citizen Action's 14 lawmakers separated from the party, claiming they could no longer work for a political movement that adhered to such a rigid and "fanatical" ethics code. Led by the party's former congressional chief Humberto Arce, the group argued that Citizen Action's highly touted ethics code was being manipulated by party boss Ottón Solís, who used it as a tool for political propaganda (TT, Feb. 22).

Two of the defected deputies, Daisy Quesada and Edwin Patterson, quickly changed their minds and returned to Citizen Action two weeks later. "Only the fools will not return to Citizen Action," Patterson said (TT, March 14).

Six of former Citizen Action diplomats, however, have refused to rejoin their old party.

"The radicalism of don Ottón has become a dogma of the PAC and prevented the movement from developing into a party," Arce, who now heads the Patriotic Bloc, told The Tico Times last February.

The Tico Times was unable to contact Arce yesterday, who reportedly was in a meeting with the five other Patriotic Bloc lawmakers drafting an official response to Citizen Actions' declaration.

In addition to locking out the six party renegades, the Citizen Action communiqué stresses that "the Ethics Code cannot be interrupted nor modified by those who want to establish limitations."

The party declaration, signed by all Citizen Action deputies, reaffirms their commitment to the ethics code through 2006.

Return To Top Of Page

Emergency Commission Prepares for Hurricanes
By Jon Gambrell
Tico Times Staff

After a weekend of fierce rainstorms in the Northern Zone and along the Caribbean coast, the National Emergency Commission held a press conference yesterday to discuss damage from the downpours and preparations for the upcoming hurricane season.

The areas hardest hit over the weekend were the Caribbean port cities of Limón and Matina, and in the southern Pacific towns of Corredores and the Golfito, the CNE reported. The storms displaced 103 people and caused damage to roadways.

Starting yesterday, workers were out cleaning affected roads and warning those living close to rivers about the risk of additional flooding.

CNE Director Luis Diego Morales said that his agency is currently working with local mayors in both regions to assess damage and plan for upcoming hurricane season.

"Our goal is to protect human life," Morales said. "It is a humanitarian effort, though we also have forests and rivers to protect as well."

Morales stressed the importance of municipalities taking an active role to prepare citizens for storms, whether it be through education or stricter watch on local construction projects.

According to the National Meteorology Institute, this year's hurricane season is expected to be 40% longer, and there could be as many as four tropical storms and eight hurricanes passing through in the Caribbean between June 1 and Nov. 30.

Last month, Costa Rica experienced tropical storm Ana, the first of the season. Ana could be followed this year by tropical storms: Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika and Fabian according to the United States National Weather Service.

Return To Top Of Page

Foreign Minister Demands Apology from Ombudsman

Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar yesterday lashed out at the Ombudsman Office's recent report alleging 69 of Costa Rica's foreign diplomats are technically ineligible for their posts, calling the findings "absolutely erroneous."

Tovar also demanded that Ombudsman Jose Manuel Echandí publicly ask forgiveness of the foreign diplomats named in the study, adding the report has caused them "great damage to the honor." The Foreign Ministry also filed a formal request asking the Ombudsman's Office to reconsider the conclusion of its report.

Tovar's rebuttal came less than one week after he called a press conference to announce a full investigation into the findings of the Ombudsman's report alleging irregularities in the naming of almost 70 diplomats (TT Daily Page, May 14).

"This [report] has been a great injustice," Tovar stressed.

Don't miss Friday's TT print edition for full story.

Return To Top Of Page