“No” Vote on CAFTA Gains in Poll
by Rod Hughes
The opponents to the Central american Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States gained the upper hand for the first time in the polls, the daily La Nacion reported Thursday. The Unimer pollsters found that, among those who have definitely decided, 55% will vote no and only 43% yes in the nationwide referendum Sunday.
Meanwhile, U.S. trade representative Susan C. Schwab told the press today flatly that the U.S. would not renegotiate the pact with Costa Rica if CAFTA is voted down. This is the hope that opponents to the treaty, especially the Citizen Action Party, have held out while urging a no vote on CAFTA, which has been ratified by all other Central American countries.
Moreover, Schwab again warned that the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) which gives trade preferences to countries in the trgion, including Costa Rica, may not be in force in its present form forever. And European Union sources for both the English-language weekly The Tico Times and La Nacion have warned that the E.U. will not consider a free trade treaty with this country if CAFTA fails.
The last flurry of propaganda was mustered by both sides late this week. For the “yes” vote, proponents saturated much of the media with ads while the CAFTA opponents plastered the country with posters. Both sides have campaigned hard and both mounted peaceful street demonstrations in the metropolitan area last Sunday.
Although the Catholic Church here has officially remained neutral, a stance reiterated this week by Archbishop Barrantes, the daily paper La Prensa Libre reported that at least 47 priests have been active in opposition to the pact as well as the bishops and a religious radio station. The country has no constitutional separation of church and state and the Catholic Church is the official religion of the country, although all faiths are tolerated. The Church carries great influence with a large segment of the people, if not necessarily with elected officials.
Some 7,000 policemen have been mobililzed to keep the peace during voting. Although no serious violence has been reported during the runup to the referendum, feelings often have run high and threats were reported earlier this year against students at the University of Costa Rica who wished to mount a demonstration favoring CAFTA. With singular good sense, the students decided they could show their support some other day.
No campainging will be allowed Sunday.