Lawmakers? What lawmakers?
By Rod Hughes, Fijatevos.com

Despite two and a half years of discussing bills and passing laws that effect the nation and individual daily lives, Costa Rican congressmen may as well be legislating from Mars.

The most recent Unimer public opinion poll made in July reveals that 7 out of every 10 Ticos cannot name a single one of their 57 representatives. The at-home interviews of 1,200 voters reveal lawmakers are, in the words of La Nacion reporter Esteban Mata, "perfect strangers."

This may be partly due to the unique way that lawmakers are "elected," Every four years, political parties name their slate of Legislative Assembly candidates, starting with the most notable first.

The congressional seats are doled out contingent on the percentage of the total vote received by the party ticket for legislative candidates. Thus, representation is indirect and voters do not cast ballots for individual congress members.

This was obviously an effort by Constitutional framers in 1949 to keep political parties strong and influential. But it also results in the selection of party hacks rewarded for their loyalty with the top spots on the list. Voters get what the party wants, not whom they elect.

(Lest U.S. expatriates are tempted to throw rocks at this system, it should be noted that the U.S. Electoral College, an obsolete remnant of Alexander Hamilton's 18th century suspicion of the rank and file citizen, resulted several times in presidents being elected, despite not getting a majority vote.)

But La Nacion reported that not all deputies are completely unknown. Social Christian Unity leader Luis Fishman, a former Security Minister, was one recognizable face -- but only to slightly fewer than 10% of voters. Champion name recognition went to Unity's Gloria Bejerano with 40%--but she's a former First Lady.

And Justo Orozco, the controversial Evangelical firebrand who heads the Human Rights Committee in the Legislative Assembly, is known to 3% of those polled. National Liberationist Luis Gerardo Villanueva and Libertarian Mireya Zamora were identified by 2%.

And Libertarian Adonay Enriques as well as Broad Front's Jose Maria Villalta were known to a slim 1%. Some 20% gave names -- but not of legislators.

But it was clear voters had a dim view of the Legislative Assembly's ability to function. They gave the body (47%) failing marks, up from 41% last April. Another 36% gave the lawmakers a "so-so" rating, up from 29% in April.

A bare nine percent of optimists gave the Legislative Assembly a "good" or "very good" rating. The picture this gives of voters' view of deputies is, "We don't know who they are, but they're awful..."