Liberació Nacional (PLN) party Presidential candidate Johnny Araya recommended to his newly elected legislators that his party not block the congressional leadership of the Partido Accion Cuidadian (PAC). In the past, leadership of legislature has been a dogfight of major proportions.
It seems unlikely that the legislators will listen to their leader, especially since he unilaterally withdrew from the runoff election against PAC’s candidate Luis Guillermo Solis. It has been a hapless election for Liberacion with the party drawing the fewest amount of votes in its history in the Feb. 2 first round.
“It’s good that new authorities have in their hands the steering of democracy of both the executive and legislative branches,” declared Araya. He urged that Liberacion lawmakers vote for measures in the general public interest and with its larger number of deputies not attempt to obstruct.
The lawmakers are splintered among nine parties, some having only one or two votes. Liberacion has 24 and PAC, despite leading the Presidential vote, only a dozen. Solis, on the other hand, has urged his lawmakers to negotiate with other parties.
Plainly, Araya does not want his party to play the role of the Tea Party in the U.S. Congress in obstructionism. He also urged his party members to vote in the April 6 runoff which he says polls show they have no chance of putting him in office.
Solis, in contrast, has been beating the bushes in Guanacaste province for votes — he says he’d like to win with a million of them. He continues to be a presence on Facebook and Twitter, even down to taking a “selfie” of himself with his phone and posting it.
Liberacion has not contributed to its social media pages since Araya’s withdrawal. Liberacion also turned down the idea of its economics team debating the PAC team. Solis turned thumbs down on the idea as well. But Araya’s withdrawal appears to be unpopular among a great number of Liberacionistas.
Despite Araya’s withdrawal from campaigning, his name is still on the second round ballot.
Article by iNews.co.cr
