Arias Could Win Presidency in Costa Rica

[arcos]

Arias Could Win Presidency in Costa Rica



(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Former head of state Óscar Arias Sánchez is still the top contender for next month’s presidential election in Costa Rica, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 47 per cent of respondents would support Arias.

In March 2004, Arias officially announced his intention to run for president again as the candidate for the National Liberation Party (PLN). The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly opted to bring back presidential re-election in 2003. Arias headed the government from 1986 to 1990.

Ottón Solís of the Citizens Action Party (PAC) is second with 24 per cent, followed by Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement (ML) with 14 per cent, Ricardo Toledo of the governing Social-Christian Unity Party (PUSC) with six per cent, and Antonio Álvarez Desanti of the Union for Change (UPC) with three per cent.

The PUSC’s Abel Pacheco was elected in a run-off in April 2002 with 58 per cent of the vote. The election is scheduled for Feb. 5. If no candidate garners more than 40 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place on Apr. 2.

<snip>

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/10448

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thanks for the information. Is this article I found correct?

Snips from a google grab sound excellent:

Oscar Arias Sánchez was born in 1940. After studying in the United States, he read law and economics at the University of Costa Rica in the capital, San Jose. As a student he engaged actively in the work of the National Liberation Party. Having completed his degree, he went on to take a doctorate in England, with a thesis on the subject of "Who rules Costa Rica?" He is the author of a number of books and articles on political and historical subjects.
(snip)

In the 1978 elections, when the Christian Social Unity Party won the presidency, Arias was elected to the Legislative Assembly but withdrew in 1981 to work for his party's presidential candidate, Luis Alberto Monge, who won in 1982. Nominated himself in 1985, Arias was elected President in 1986, winning 52.3% of the votes against 45.8% for the Christian Social Unity candidate. As President, he intervened against the activities of U.S.-backed Contras on Costa Rican territory.
(snip/...)

http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1987/arias-bio.html

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Obviously he cares more about his country than protecting (and enriching) his own #$$ by serving our right-wing control-obsessed idiots. More power to him.

[arcos]

2. It is correct... however, he is a big time neoliberal...

Right now, he's considered THE right winger in this race, especially on economic issues because he supports most free market policies.

Obviously the Libertarian candidate is even further to the right, but Arias is the biggest supporter of CAFTA in the country, and he wants to privatize most state owned companies.

The PLN (National Liberation Party) has been the traditional center-left party in the country, but that has changed in the last 20 years, and right now they are the center-right standard bearers.

Ottón Solís from Citizen's Action Party (PAC) is the center-left candidate, he supports a renegotiation of CAFTA and proposes policies that support people that depend on agriculture, as well as eradicating corruption from government institutions.



Costa Rica will not follow the path of Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia, no matter who wins. We are much further to the right on economic issues.
However, business interests are ALL eager for an Arias victory because that's what would benefit them. A Solís victory would not be a really big change from neoliberal policies of the past few years, but at least it would slow down deregulation and privatization.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Thanks for the clarification. I'm glad for the perspective.

There are simply too too many neoliberals. I hadn't gained that awareness on Arias.

That's the last thing any part of Latin America can use now. They need to regain their stolen and coerced authority.

[arcos]

4. Yes, I definitely support Solís....

He got 26% of the vote in 2002, and for the first time ever, we had a run off election. Too bad he came in third place and not in second.

Arias represents the traditional parties, National Liberation and Social Christian Unity, much in the same way Democratic Action and COPEI represent Venezuela's traditional parties. However, the situation here is not nearly as bad as Venezuela's was when Chavez came in.


And don't get me wrong... by US standards, Arias is pretty much to the left. He was absolutely against the Iraq war, and is mostly against Bush's regime, but he still supports corporations before the little guys, and the big money is really looking forward to an Arias government.

The interesting thing is that if Arias doesn't get 40% or more next month, a runoff election would be really hard for him. Right now, if a runoff election were held between him and Solis, it would be a dead heat.... 44% for Arias, 40% for Solís, with the rest undecided.

[ugarte]

5. "Católico, saprisista y liberacionista"

I used to see that sticker a lot. :}

[arcos]

6. haha... you won't see it around anymore...

Saprissa is the most popular team in the country, but the old bipartisan society where you were either "liberacionista" or "calderonista" is gone.

:hi: