Costa Rica may have another referendum on two patent bills, thanks to a recent decision by the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) allowing environmental groups who oppose the laws to collect signatures.
More than 133,000 signatures must be collected within nine months to hold a referendum on the bills, which are required in some form for Costa Rica to enter the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).
The decision is a blow to the executive branch and the 38 legislators who support CAFTA and are working hard to pass 11 bills that would put Costa Rica in compliance with the treaty. The deadline for the bills, which include the two patent proposals, is Feb. 29.
Legislators can continue discussing the patent bills until the required signatures are collected and elections officials announce a referendum July 7 at the earliest, according to a TSE statement. Some 5% of registered voters, or 133,545 people, must sign a petition for the referendum to go forward. It could be held Oct. 7 at the earliest, one year after voters approved CAFTA in the country's first nationwide referendum |
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