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03 Feb 2006 |
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Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 03, 2006
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General Elections to be Held Sunday
On Sunday, 2.5 million native-born and naturalized Costa Ricans 18 years or older will have the opportunity to change the course of their country for the next four years by electing a new President, Legislative Assembly members and city council members.
(Click for more)
Three-Day Election Day Prohibition
Begins at Midnight Friday
To encourage Ticos to head to the polls and stay out of the bars as well as prevent alcohol-induced fighting between supporters of opposing parties, Costa Rica has a dry law that bans the sale of alcohol on Election Day, the day before and the day after.
(Click for more)
Solis Gains Popularity in Polls
Citizen Action Party (PAC) candidate Ottón Solís gained ground in polls this week, rising from 26.3% to 31.5%, which creates a narrower margin between him and National Liberation Party (PLN) candidate Oscar Arias, according to results published yesterday by the daily La Nación.
(Click for more)
January Inflation
Registers at 1.17%
Costa Rica registered a monthly inflation of 1.17% in January.
(Click for more)
February 03
Today
Presentation of the Body Builder Lou Ferrigno and Opening of Gym
Gold's Gym Costa Rica opens with a presentation by body-builder and actor from The Incredible Man, 4 p.m., Radisson Hotel, Barrio Tournón, San José, 256-6689, mercadeo@goldsgymcr.com
Concert by Gaviota Band
Dance to the band's Latin rhythms and take in its romantic songs tonight at 9 p.m., Hacienda Chirraca, road to Tres Ríos, northeast of San José.
Saturday
Concert with the Hudson Valley Singers Choir
Under the direction of Russia 's Eugene Sirotkine. The repertoire includes works by Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Tschaikovsky and more, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., Galerón Cultural Aspinall- Murray, Cerro Plano, Monteverde, 645-5200, 645-5851.
Sunday
Election Day
Costa Ricans all over the country elect the next president and members of the future Legislative Assembly.
Free Aerobics and Popular Dancing
One hour class, 8 a.m., every Sunday, CUNA Park, Villa Bonita, Alajuela, northeast of San José.
Edited By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
General Elections to be Held Sunday
By Rebecca Kimitch
Tico Times Staff
rkimitch@ticotimes.net
On Sunday, 2.5 million native-born and naturalized Costa Ricans 18 years or older will have the opportunity to change the course of their country for the next four years by electing a new President, Legislative Assembly members and city council members.
Ticos nationwide will head to their nearest polling place, usually a school, where they will take part in an election process whose smoothness over the years has made it a model for democracy.
Voters receive three ballots: one for president, one for legislators and one for city council members. They then go behind a cardboard screen where they mark their selections with an X and place their ballots in a ballot box.
In elections past, voters indicated their choices with a fingerprint; for nostalgia's sake – and to indicate they have already voted – today's voters dip their finger in ink.
At 6 p.m. the polls close, poll workers open the ballot boxes and the counting begins.
Vote tallies are sent by computer, fax, phone and hand delivery to the Supreme Elections Tribunal in San José. By 8:30 p.m. preliminary results are determined and tribunal officials may announce Costa Rica 's future leaders, who will take office May 8.
However, if no presidential candidate receives 40% of the vote – and polls say it could be close for frontrunner Oscar Arias, of the National Liberation Party – a runoff election will be held April 2.
Despite historically successful elections, preparations for this year's vote have not been without glitches, one being a lack of poll workers, which forced the Elections Tribunal to enlist the help of 5,000 emergency poll workers to staff and count votes at the country's 6,163 polling places.
The TSE made a call Monday to Costa Ricans to volunteer their services; it set up an 800 number to receive offers. Hundreds of Costa Ricans answered the call, including astronaut Franklin Chang, who announced his new plasma laboratory this week (TT Online, Feb. 1), rectors of the four public universities and Ombudswoman Lisbeth Quesada.
Three-Day Election Day Prohibition
Begins at Midnight Friday
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
To encourage Ticos to head to the polls and stay out of the bars as well as prevent alcohol-induced fighting between supporters of opposing parties, Costa Rica has a dry law that bans the sale of alcohol on Election Day, the day before and the day after.
According to Article 80 of the Electoral Code, beginning at midnight Friday and ending at midnight Monday, businesses whose main attraction is booze, such as bars and nightclubs, must close, said Hector Fernández, Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) Director of Electoral Programs.
Drinking in private homes is legal, while businesses that sell alcohol but don't make it their main focus, like supermarkets and restaurants, may stay open, but must clearly close off the area where alcohol is sold.
National Police officers then visit these businesses and mark the off-limits alcohol selection with a piece of paper stamped with an official seal, said Public Security Ministry spokesman Jesús Ureña.
During the three days, police keep an eye on bars during their normal patrol to make sure neither business owners nor mischief-doers break any of the seals.
Anyone who violates the prohibition by selling alcohol faces a fine of up to three times their base salary, said Fernández, and anyone who enters a sealed-off area to access alcohol could face two to four years in jail.
This year's election coincides with the United States' Super Bowl football game, which has made the dry law particularly unpopular among some bar and restaurant owners.
While some restaurants are staying open and hoping to tempt sports fans with non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, others, such as Mac's American Bar in La Sabana, west of San José, have decided a Super Bowl without beer just wouldn't be the same and will close for three days, said manager Eddy Barrientos.
Solis Gains Popularity in Polls
Citizen Action Party (PAC) candidate Ottón Solís gained ground in polls this week, rising from 26.3% to 31.5%, which creates a narrower margin between him and National Liberation Party (PLN) candidate Oscar Arias, according to results published yesterday by the daily La Nación.
Ex-President Arias (1986-1990), who has consistently held first place in polls, fell from 49.6% to 42.6%, while Libertarian Movement candidate Otto Guevara, who rose from 11.8% to 12.9%, was in third place, the daily reported.
Of the remaining 11 candidates, none showed a significant rise or fall in the poll. Those with the most support were Union for Change Party candidate Antonio Alvarez with 4.4% and National Union Party candidate José Manuel Echandi with 2.7%. None of the other candidates received more than 2% support.
The poll was conducted for La Nación by the firm Unimer, which interviewed 1,200 potential voters throughout the country from Jan. 27-31. It has a 2.8% margin of error.
Fluctuations in the polls could be reflective of indecision among Costa Rican voters, La Nación reported. According to Unimer, this climate of uncertainty just a few days before the election is a change from previous election years, when polls showed voters to be more confident in their choices of candidates as Election Day approached.
Under Costa Rica 's Electoral Code, yesterday was the last day polls could be published.
-Tico Times
January Inflation
Registers at 1.17%
Costa Rica registered a monthly inflation of 1.17% in January.
This rate represents a decrease from the January inflation rates reported in 2004 (1.96%) and 2004 (1.70%), according to the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC). Inflation over the past 12 months was 13.20%; inflation for 2005 was 14.07%.
Central Bank President Francisco de Paula Gutiérrez has announced a target rate of 11% for 2006, and 10% for 2007 (TT, Jan. 27).
-Tico Times