Q COSTARICA — A few days after President-elect Laura Fernández—who currently serves as Ministra de la Presidencia (Chief of Staff) under Rodrigo Chaves—urged outgoing members of Congress to ramp up their efforts to pass several bills.
On Monday, Rodrigo Arias, Speaker of Congress, stepped in to clarify that he doesn’t have the authority to call legislators in to work on Fridays or any other day outside the regular schedule.
“I want to remind everyone respectfully that the rules of this Legislative Assembly do not grant me, as Speaker, the power to convene extraordinary sessions, whether on Fridays or any other day,” Arias told the assembly.
This stance stands in stark contrast to what the President-elect said to the press on Thursday.
Fernández pointed out, “Did you know, people of Costa Rica, that if Mr. Rodrigo Arias decided the Assembly should work on bills on Fridays, the Assembly could do so—even on Fridays—for the benefit of the people? Maybe from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or heck, even from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.”
In a much softer tone than her boss, President Rodrigo Chaves, Fernández last week appealed to outgoing legislators to help make the most of the final two months of the current administration by pushing through several important projects for Costa Rica.
She emphasized that her priority is the country’s interest and offered to set up technical committees, hold discussions with experts, and visit project sites—like the Crucitas mining project—to support the process.
The requested bills:
- Progress on the San José–San Ramón highway.
- Climate resilience project to create an emergency response operations center.
- Budget support plan to strengthen education, health, and security, among other areas.
- Electric train.
- Expropriation project to expedite public investment.
- Crucitas mining project.
- Law for medical specialists to increase the number of qualified professionals.