Arias Speaks
Out in Support Of Chinchilla Election
For the first since the voting of the
Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) Sunday and
after being scolded by the Tribunal Supremo
de Elecciones (TSE) last fall, Costa Rica
president, Oscar Arias, speaks out on the
election of Laura Chinchilla as leader of
the PLN party for the 2010 presidential
elections.
Arias was told by the TSE last fall, that
his comments on his choice of whom should
follow his presidency of his remarks of
wanting to see a woman president, referring
to his former vice-president, was
inappropriate for a sitting president and he
should cool it.
And so he did.
However, yesterday, Arias spoke out, saying
"this fulfills an old dream of mine, that
one day Costa Ricans come to elect a woman
as president".
Arias, however, was cautious, saying that we
will have to wait until February to see what
happens, adding that if countries like
Nicaragua, Panama, Chile and Argentina, with
less of a tradition of democracy than Costa
Rica, can elect a woman president, so can
Costa Rica.
Laura Chinchilla Miranda, who stepped down
as Costa Rica's first vice-president in the
Arias government last October, won the party
leadership vote on Sunday with a majority
over her rival, San Jose mayor, Johnny
Araya.
Arias said that he will not be meeting with
Laura and that she knows the problems facing
the country and has solutions. The prez
added that it was no news to him when Laura
said publicly that she plans to continue the
efforts of the current government.
The president said that Laura has experience
on the job, less than he of course, as she
was acting president last year on two
separate occasions.
Arias said that the PLN party has the
support of the people and much of that is
because of the good work of his government
during the past three years, saying it is
logical and natural for a people to re-elect
what is working for them, like the
re-election of Lula in Brazil and the
support for a third term Uribe has in
Colombia. And the change of power in the US
with the dissatisfaction of the people with
Bush.
Arias labeled Chinchilla as a person who has
experience, charisma, is prepared,
intelligent, and was part of my Government,
and will continue the torch to new
generations. |
