MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Costa Rica: free trade treaty debate on hold

Costa Rica's Congress will wait until it becomes clear who won last Sunday's presidential election to continue with deliberations on the Central America Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA, with United States.

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Rolando Lacle, and a member of the ruling party said that they will hold back discussions on the free trade agreement linking five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic with United States, until the election result is announced.

"We must wait until the official election result. When the Electoral Court makes it official we'll see how the incoming president wants to handle the issue", said Lacle.

But Luis Ramirez from the opposition PLN and a member of the Committee said he would request that "we continue with the treaty's discussion...since it is our duty".

Electoral Court officials began the manual recount of ballots Tuesday and final results are expected within two weeks. The Court has 30 days to proclaim the president-elect.

While Mr. Arias supports CAFTA, Solis opposed the treaty and many analysts interpret his last-minute surge in the election as evidence of widespread unease among Costa Ricans with the controversial issue. Costa Rica is the only signatory nation that has not ratified the treaty.

Preliminary results show former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias, with a slim 3.000 votes lead over economist Otton Solis of the centrist PAC. But Mr. Arias election campaign team forecasts a final victory with a difference of 15.000 votes.