The Star Online: World Updates
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- Costa Rica leftist easily wins presidential run-off
- Japan PM Abe wants to confirm further cooperation with Australia
- Costa Rica leftist easily wins presidential run-off
| Costa Rica leftist easily wins presidential run-off Posted: 06 Apr 2014 09:00 PM PDT SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - A centre-left academic who has never held elected office easily won Costa Rica's presidential election on Sunday, ousting the graft-stained ruling party from power after its candidate quit campaigning a month ago. Former diplomat Luis Guillermo Solis, of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), won more than three-quarters of votes by tapping in to public anger at rising inequality and government corruption scandals. He had defied pollsters' predictions by coming in ahead of his rivals in a first round of voting in February, and then took a huge lead in opinion polls ahead of the run-off. In a bizarre twist, his rival Johnny Araya of the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN) announced last month he was halting his campaign as polls showed him with little or no chance of catching Solis. Araya remained on the ballot as required by the constitution and his party continued to campaign, but he faced a heavy defeat. Solis had 77.88 percent of the vote with returns in from 94 percent of polling booths, Costa Rica's election tribunal said. Araya had just 22.12 percent of the vote, and quickly conceded defeat. Solis ran on a promise to fight Costa Rica's stubborn poverty rate and to stamp out corruption, an issue that has dogged incumbent President Laura Chinchilla's administration and which struck a chord with voters. "It's been four years of daily suffering," said Mercedes Castillo, a 66-year-old housewife and mother-of-three, after voting for Solis at a high school in the capital, San Jose. "There's just too much corruption." Jubilant Solis supporters waved red-and-yellow PAC flags in the streets of San Jose, and drivers honked their horns in celebration. Solis' victory hands the young PAC its first presidential victory, and wrests power from the PLN, which has been in power since 2006. Solis was a member of the PLN for 30 years, but abandoned the party in 2005, denouncing internal voting irregularities. A prosecutor's investigation into allegations of abuse of authority and embezzlement while Araya was mayor of San Jose made it hard for the former front-runner to distance himself from party scandals. Solis has promised to boost social spending, although he says he will wait two years before raising taxes. His more egalitarian message chimed with voters, who have seen inequality rise steadily in recent years. "We want to recover that sense of solidarity, of social inclusion, and commitment to the neediest Costa Ricans that has been lost," the 55-year-old told a news conference on Saturday. He faces numerous hurdles, however. His PAC will have just 13 of the 57 seats in Congress and he may struggle to find the money to finance social programs. "He's going to have a government without money, a fiscal deficit of 6 percent, and lots of social spending commitments," said Jose Carlos Chinchilla, a political analyst and a director at the University of Costa Rica. Solis has also said he hopes to attract new businesses to Costa Rica's booming free-trade zones, which have enticed the likes of Hewlett-Packard Co. (Additional reporting by Zach Dyer; Writing by Simon Gardner and Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Kieran Murray) |
| Japan PM Abe wants to confirm further cooperation with Australia Posted: 06 Apr 2014 08:50 PM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he wants to confirm further cooperation on defence and the economy with Australian premier Tony Abbott, who is visiting Tokyo. Japanese media reported that Abe and Abbott will announce the basic bilateral agreement later in the day, featuring cuts to Tokyo's tariffs on Australian beef and Canberra ending its duty on cars. Abe also said during a meeting with fellow ruling party members that he will exchange views on issues over the economy, North Korea, and defence with U.S. President Barack Obama when he visits Japan later this month. (Reporting by Yuko Yoshikawa; Writing by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Dominic Lau) |
| Costa Rica leftist easily wins presidential run-off Posted: 06 Apr 2014 08:30 PM PDT SAN JOSE (Reuters) - A centre-left academic with a popular anti-corruption message but who has never been elected to office is expected to win Costa Rica's presidential election run-off on Sunday after his opponent slid in polls and stopped campaigning. Luis Guillermo Solis, a former diplomat, rode a wave of anti-government sentiment over rising inequality and graft scandals to finish ahead in February's first-round vote, surprising pollsters who had placed him fourth. Facing a depleted war chest, rival Johnny Araya of the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN) quit campaigning after an opinion poll showed him trailing badly. However, Araya remains on the ballot and his party continues to campaign, so theoretically he could win. Solis has promised to fight Costa Rica's stubborn poverty while stamping out corruption, an issue that has dogged incumbent President Laura Chinchilla's administration. "There's been so much abuse of power and the people are sick of it," said 63-year-old street vendor Raul Cabrera, who voted for the Citizen Action Party (PAC), Solis's party. "There are too may people without work." Few voters turned up at voting stations shortly after polls opened on Sunday and local media footage showed the same was true across the country for most of the morning. Solis urged those who stayed away to come out and vote. No candidate won the more than 40 percent of votes needed in February to avoid a run-off, paving the way for Sunday's showdown. Voters appear eager to elevate the young PAC to its first presidential victory and wrest power from the PLN, in power since 2006. A prosecutor's investigation into allegations of abuse of authority and embezzlement while Araya was mayor of San Jose made it hard for the former front-runner to distance himself from party scandals. Despite ending his campaign early, Araya said he would be happy to govern if he were to win the vote. A University of Costa Rica survey last month showed Solis had more than 64 percent support while Araya trailed with around 21 percent. Within hours, Araya shelved his campaign. Solis campaigned on a pledge to eradicate corruption and help the poorest. "We want to recover that sense of solidarity, of social inclusion, and commitment to the neediest Costa Ricans that has been lost," Solis told a news conference on Saturday. But Solis faces hurdles of his own. Threatened by high rates of absenteeism typical of second-round voting and the looming challenge of a divided Congress, Solis could end up with a weak mandate. His PAC will have just 13 of the 57 seats in Congress. Solis has also said he will wait two years before raising taxes despite promises to boost social spending. "He's going to have a government without money, a fiscal deficit of 6 percent, and lots of social spending commitments," said Jose Carlos Chinchilla, a political analyst and a director at the University of Costa Rica. Solis also has said he hopes to attract new businesses to Costa Rica's booming free-trade zones, which have enticed the likes of Hewlett Packard. (Additional reporting by Zach Dyer; Editing by Simon Gardne, Gabriel Stargardter and Steve Orlofsky) |
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