Former President and Nobel Laureate announces candidacy (Costa Rica)

[arcos]

Arias Announces Candidacy

Former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias (1986-1990) yesterday formally announc-ed his plans to run for President in 2006 as a National Liberation Party candidate.

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Arias’ announcement unofficially kicked off the 2006 presidential campaign, which some experts predict may become one of the most heated and potentially ugly campaigns in Costa Rican history.

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Improving public education, he explained, needs to be a top priority if the country is to develop.
Arias also expressed strong support for the Central America Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States, which Costa Rica finished negotiating in January (TT, Jan. 30), and the government’s proposed Permanent Fiscal Reform Package (TT, March 12).

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If the presidential elections were held this week, according to a poll published Tuesday by the daily Al Día, Arias would win with 43% of the national vote – nearly twice as many votes as his nearest rival Ottón Solís of Citizen Action Party, who previously served as his Planning Minister and also ran for President in 2002.

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http://www.ticotimes.net/newsbriefs.htm


Arias strongly opposed the US led invasion of Iraq, but he is VERY right wing on economic issues, and he is no better on other social issues.

[Tinoire]

1. Interesting. Thanks n/t

[arcos]

2. You're welcome...

at least one person out of 40,000 is interested in what happens out of the US!