The People May Decide

Costa Rica's electoral court is deliberating whether to allow the Costa Rican people a direct vote over whether to enter the DR-CAFTA trade block. The country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal said it may authorize a referendum if citizens collect signatures in favour totalling 5% of the electoral roll, equating to 130,000 signatures, over a nine month period. According to a poll conducted by the Universidad de Costa Rica in March, 39% of respondents supported the ratification of DR-CAFTA, while 32.7% opposed it. President Óscar Arias hopes to ratify the agreement by the end of 2007, yet faces stern opposition from labour

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