Arias Extols
Achievements And
Avoids
Self-Criticism
In His Last
Report To The
Nation
May 1 in Costa
Rica is a
strange day. A
holiday for many
who head out to
the parks and
beaches, while
many others head
to the malls and
specialty retail
stores to spend
their paycheck
as payday is the
day before. But
all gather in
front of their
television for
the annual
speech by the
president.
And yesterday
was no
different,
including the
one hour late in
president Oscar
Arias' taking
the podium which
had been
scheduled for
6pm.
This is the
final report -
number for in
all - by
president Arias,
who told the
press after the
speech that he
will not miss
the presidency
come next
Saturday.
The Aria speech
of May 1 this
year was before
a group of new
legislators who
began their
functions
earlier in the
day, that saw
the first clash
between the new
bunch, in the
election of the
president of the
legislative
assembly. This
is an important
election, as
legislators will
be appointing
the person that
would be
temporary
president of the
country, as did
the former
legislative
president, when
the Arias
administration
was left without
its two
vice-presidents.
In his hour long
dissertation,
Arias set the
tone of his
words around the
theme of "the
country's return
to a path of
development".
The idea is not
new, Arias had
the same theme
four years back,
when on May 8,
2006, he took
office,
beginning his
second term
promising to
give a "north"
to the country.
Now, four years
later, Arias
said he was
satisified at
the
accomplishments
and the "evils
avoided",
without
atrributing any
errors to his
administration
and the new
political
climate in Costa
Rica.
"Four years is a
short time to
make profound
changes, but it
was enough to
achieve the most
urgent change
needed in Costa
Rica: a change
of attitude",
Arias told the
new legisaltors,
diplomats of the
various
countries of the
international
community
represented in
Costa Rica and
the general
public at home
or a nearby bar,
in front of the
television.
Arias assures
that he has
revived
confidence and
has overcome "el
amargo
derrotismo"
(bitter
defeatism) of
when he took
over the
presidency.
"The return of
confidence is
the main fruit I
am offering
today," said
Arias.
During his
speech, the
president also
spoke of the
difficulties
faced during his
administration,
mainly the world
economic crisis,
the "attacks" of
the opposition
and the
imbalance
between entities
in monitoring
and enforcement.
Arias
highlighted
achievements of
the last four
years,
achievements
that have become
part of the work
of incoming
president, Laura
Chinchilla.
"No cloud or
political fog
will clear the
footprint on our
land", said
Arias.
In terms of
security, the
president
assures that the
base for a
"secure and
peaceful" Costa
Rica have been
laid.
President Arias
apologized for
his failures,
adding that the
achievements,
however, are
much more than
he can list.
The only error
he alluded to
was his
disappointment
in the new
traffic law (Ley
de Tránsito), an
elaboration
whose
responsibility
was that of the
legislators.
All in all the
speech, ending
shortly after
8pm, was well
received by his
audience as they
say goodbye to
Oscar Arias.
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