Legislators Vote
Themselves
"Salariazo" -
Controversial
Pay Hike
Despite the
protests, the
threats by
presidenta
Chinchilla of a
veto, the
controversial
pay hike
legislators want
to give
themselves, was
approved
following first
debate on
Monday.
The bill would
see the salaries
of legislators
go from ˘2.5
million colones
to ˘4.3 million
colones a month,
increased 10%
annually to
reach ˘6.1
million in 2014,
the end of the
term of the
current
legislature. The
bill introduced
within days of
the new
legislators
taking their
post on May 1,
2010.
Monday night's
vote was 35 in
favour and 20
opposed of the
legislators
present in the
Assembly at
10:10pm.
A man holds a
sticker as he
protests against
the proposed
plan by new
deputies of the
Legislative
Assembly to
increase their
salaries.
Printed on the
sticker are
images of the
new deputies and
the proposed
amount of salary
increase. [Fotos:
Juan Carlos
Ulate]
Costa Rican
president, Laura
Chinchilla, said
over the weekend
that she would
veto any salary
increase unless
the legislators
can show her how
they will fund
the project and
it does not
raise taxes.
Before the bill
can take effect,
it must go
through second
debate and
voting and then
requires the
signature of
Chinchilla.
Following the
vote,
legislators of
the parties
Acción Ciudadana
(PAC) and Frente
Amplio demanded
that Chinchilla
use her power of
veto to stop the
nonsense.
Juan Carlos
Mendoza, leader
of the PAC
legislators,
said "this sends
a very bad sign
to the people".
Yesterday, the
star of the day
was clearly
Guillermo Zúñiga,
former ministro
de Hacienda
(Finance
minister) and
now a legislator
for the Partido
Liberación
Nacional (PLN),
taking the floor
for more than 10
minutes
explaining his
reasons against
the salary hike,
saying that the
salary hike will
cost the people
a lot more than
the ˘1.5 billion
colones
estimated.
A woman holds a
placard as she
protests against
the proposed
plan by new
deputies of the
Legislative
Assembly to
increase their
salaries. The
placard reads,
"No wage
increase." [Foto:
/Juan Carlos
Ulate}
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