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Press Release

OAS HEARS REPORTS ON COSTA RICA ELECTIONS
AND NICARAGUA’S DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION

The Organization of American States (OAS) team that monitored Costa Rica’s recent general elections today hailed the peaceful and normal way in which the process unfolded. The Chief of the Electoral Observation Mission, Ambassador Paul Durand of Canada, told the Permanent Council that “this is to the credit of Costa Rica, its political systems as well as its institutions that are functioning normally, bolstered by the confidence of the Costa Rican people despite the crises of the last few months.”

In his oral report, Durand praised the role of the Supreme Elections Tribunal in putting in place the infrastructure for the process that culminated in presidential elections on February 5. A winner is expected to be announced today, Ambassador Durand noted, after a manual vote count that was forced by the “razor-thin margin” separating the two leading candidates. He told the member state delegations that only one of the total 6,163 polling stations had not opened on time on election day.

In his report to the OAS Permanent Council, Durand lauded the process surrounding the Costa Rican election, noting that “citizens of different political stripes and social levels peacefully gathered together to vote and enjoy the festive atmosphere.”

Responding to the report to the Permanent Council session, chaired by Saint Lucia’s Ambassador Sonia Johnny, the Alternate Representative of Costa Rica to the OAS, Ambassador Luis Guardia, said the Electoral Observation Mission witnessed “an exemplary, fair and transparent exercise.”


NICARAGUA: MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL WAR’S END

The Permanent Council also noted the 17th anniversary of Nicaragua’s democratic transition and end to the civil war. That country’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador José Luis Velásquez Pereira, praised fellow Nicaraguans for “bringing down two different dictatorships by taking to the streets, to the mountains and to the ballot box.” He also noted the “firm support of the Organization of American States.”

The Nicaraguan Ambassador recalled that, “drawing strength from our weakness and with help from the international community—particularly from our Central American brothers and sisters who drafted the Esquipulas Plan—we silenced the guns and spoke through the ballot.” He said the process of democratic transition, “whose 17th anniversary we are celebrating today, was set in motion when Violeta Chamorro became President through superhuman efforts only a mother could summon in the most adverse circumstances.”

He further noted that “what began with the peace process, economic stabilization and restructuring, continued in 1995 with significant constitutional reforms for a balance of state powers, paving the way for the democratization of political parties to meet the new demands.”

Detailing the challenges President Enrique Bolaños’ government has faced, Ambassador Velásquez said, “Despite this, we feel that as Nicaraguans we have matured enough to be able to govern ourselves. We do not need to be dictated to by any caudillo.” He added that Nicaragua, with the support of the international community, is in a position to be able to put an end to the clientele state and to despotism, and “to usher in a future of prosperity and greatness to which the Nicaraguan people have every right to aspire.”

Reference: E-032/06