TLC / CAFTA final vote count

The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones officially declared Monday that the referendum question on the free trade treaty with the United States has been approved.  The tribunal said that final figures show that the yes side got 805,658 votes and the no side got 756,814. That is 48,844 votes out of 1,572,684. The numbers do not add up because there were slightly more than 10,000 blank votes and voided ballots. This is about the same result announced informally the night of the election.  The tribunal also declared the referendum valid because 59.2 percent of those registered voted. The law says that 40 percent must vote to have a valid referendum.  The treaty passed in San José, Cartago, Heredia and Limón. More people voted no in Alajuela, Guanacaste and Puntarenas, said the tribunal.”  (Source: AMCostaRica, October 23, 2007)

Referendum day – October 7, 2007

Costa Rica residents will go to the polls on October 7^th to vote to accept or reject a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States.  (Unlike general elections, alcohol WILL be sold the weekend of the referendum.)  In the US, the treaty’s acronym is CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement) and in Costa Rica it is referred to as the TLC (Tratado de Libre Comercio).  Proponents and opponents in Costa Rica have been actively voicing their sentiments in a number of demonstrations and protests and in painting colorful graffiti in public places.  University students and employees of government institutions (monopolies such as ICE, the phone company and INS, the country’s insurance provider) have been most vehement in their displeasure with the TLC.   Although the agreement has been touted by President Oscar Arias’ as being beneficial to Costa Rica, he has had his detractors in the legislature and they have prevented him from getting the necessary approval.  Even if the referendum passes, the legislature must pass laws related to the agreement before anything can be signed with the US.