2007 Costa Rican Dominican Republic – Central America Free Trade Agreement referendum explained

2007 Costa Rican DR–CAFTA referendum
Do you approve of the Dominican Republic, Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement?
Country:Costa Rica
Date:7 October 2007
Yes:805658
No:756814
Invalid:10212
Electorate:2654627

A referendum on the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was held in Costa Rica on 7 October 2007. It was originally to be held on 23 September 2007, but it was postponed on 5 June 2007 due to a court challenge.[1] Opinion polls from April, July and August 2007 suggested that a majority of voters were in favour,[2] [3] while a poll from June saw a majority against.[4] It was ultimately approved by 51.56% of voters.[5]

The movement against the CAFTA Referendum in Costa Rica brought many members of the Citizens' Action Party to national politics. Several anti-CAFTA organizers have been elected to the Legislative Assembly.

Party positions

Several parties and organizations held a position against CAFTA. These parties were: Citizens' Action, Broad Front, Social Christian Unity, Accessibility without Exclusion, National Integration, People's Vanguard, National Rescue, Costa Rican Renewal and a sector of National Liberation known as Liberacionistas contra el TLC (Liberationists against CAFTA). Other organizations that endorsed the "No" vote include nearly all trade unions (APSE, ANDE, SEC, ANEP, FIT-ICE, UNDECA, SINDEU), environmentalists (APREFLOFAS, Coecoceiba, FECON),[6] Costa Rica Firefighter Corps, the Lutheran Costa Rican Church, the LGBT Rights movement, and the Cámara de Empresarios Pro-Costa Rica (Pro-Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce). Other organizations against the free trade agreement include the students' federation of all four public universities and their respective rectors;[7] the movement itself (Patriotic Movement Against CAFTA) was directed by Costa Rica Institute of Technology rector Eugenio Trejoses

National Liberation Party, Libertarian Movement, National Union Party, and National Restoration Party were in favor of Costa Rica's entry to CAFTA, as so was the majority of Social Christian Unity's congressmen in that legislature. Almost all commerce chambers that made up the Union of Commerce Chambers and Private Enterprise Associations (UCCAEP) also voiced their support for the "Yes" vote. The official movement was called the Citizens' Alliance for Yes and it was led by one of the government's ministers, Alfredo Volio Escalante.[8]

PositionPolitical partiesIdeologyPolitical position
YesNational Liberation PartySocial DemocracyCentre to Centre-left
Libertarian MovementLibertarianism, NeoliberalismRight-wing
National Restoration PartyChristian RightRight-wing
National Union PartyLiberalismCentre-right
No
Citizens' Action PartyProgressivismCentre-left
Social Christian Unity PartyChristian DemocracyCentre-right
Broad FrontDemocratic SocialismLeft-wing
Accessibility without ExclusionDisability rightsCentre-right to centre-left
People's Vanguard PartyCommunismFar-left
Costa Rican Renewal PartyChristian conservatismCentre-right to centre-left
National Integration PartySyncretic, ConservatismRight-wing to centre-left

Results

According to the Electoral Supreme Tribunal, the referendum was approved by voters in San Jose, Cartago, Heredia, and Limon provinces. Meanwhile, a majority of voters in Alajuela, Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces rejected the proposal.[9]

By canton

RegionElectorateVoter turnout,
of eligible
VotesProportion of votes
ForAgainstForAgainst
 966,81761.69%308,229288,19551.68%48.32%
 San José224,41461.19%75,84061,49055.22%44.78%
 Escazú37,44067.48%15,05210,21059.58%40.42%
 Desamparados136,79060.69%42,24840,76850.89%49.11%
 Puriscal22,45059.99%6,2167,25146.16%53.84%
 Tarrazú9,64754.79%2,5502,67848.78%51.22%
 Aserrí34,71259.20%9,00111,54843.80%56.20%
 Mora15,62660.83%4,8194,68650.70%49.30%
 Goicoechea83,77062.80%26,97525,62951.28%48.72%
 Santa Ana24,91765.45%9,4616,84658.02%41.98%
 Alajuelita42,19356.15%11,97811,71350.56%49.44%
 Vázquez de Coronado41,27666.93%14,71712,90953.27%46.73%
 Acosta13,14360.12%2,3405,56229.61%70.39%
 Tibás55,64264.93%20,21815,91155.96%44.04%
 Moravia37,74368.24%14,44211,31556.07%43.93%
 Montes de Oca40,44670.78%15,05513,57352.59%47.41%
 Turrubares3,78761.76%1,2861,05354.98%45.02%
 Dota4,48056.79%9611,58337.78%62.22%
 Curridabat41,98365.65%16,27311,28859.04%40.96%
 Pérez Zeledón88,96052.61%16,92829,87536.17%63.83%
 León Cortés7,39856.42%1,8692,30544.78%55.22%
  Province487,73462.05%148,044154,58748.92%51.08%
 Alajuela161,45561.45%56,51542,69556.97%43.03%
 San Ramón49,05266.70%9,19523,52428.10%71.90%
 Grecia46,74665.88%17,84412,95157.94%42.06%
 San Mateo3,55159.81%1,12899653.11%46.89%
 Atenas16,10869.26%4,0097,14835.93%64.07%
 Naranjo25,97163.62%8,0378,48748.64%51.36%
 Palmares23,04971.91%6,53110,04139.41%60.59%
 Poás16,60568.80%7,2394,18563.37%36.63%
 Orotina11,62254.35%3,7212,59658.90%41.10%
 San Carlos79,10459.25%21,74625,12646.39%53.61%
 Zarcero7,26972.39%2,2273,03542.32%57.68%
 Valverde Vega11,75461.30%3,7293,47651.76%48.24%
 Upala19,33245.20%3,1335,60635.85%64.15%
 Los Chiles8,31547.32%1,1522,78329.28%70.72%
 Guatuso7,80147.32%1,8381,93848.68%51.32%
 307,81963.08%109,64484,54256.46%43.54%
 Cartago98,88566.86%38,81427,29758.71%41.29%
 Paraíso36,39962.19%12,36110,27554.61%45.39%
 La Unión53,83362.21%17,63415,58452.66%47.34%
 Jiménez9,84365.28%3,8322,59459.63%40.37%
 Turrialba48,75855.94%14,53212,92152.62%47.38%
 Alvarado7,79659.66%2,6102,04156.12%43.88%
 Oreamuno27,73663.59%9,6857,59154.92%45.08%
 El Guarco24,56964.98%10,3565,60964.87%35.13%
  Province307,81963.08%109,64484,54256.46%43.54%
 Heredia79,76466.67%29,44323,73355.37%44.63%
 Barva24,78270.15%7,8399,54645.09%54.91%
 Santo Domingo28,05669.57%10,5918,92854.26%45.74%
 Santa Bárbara20,43667.17%6,5027,21847.39%52.61%
 San Rafael27,04965.67%8,2679,49546.54%53.46%
 San Isidro11,76466.35%4,0043,80251.29%48.71%
 Belén14,54772.06%6,8593,62465.43%34.57%
 Flores12,21071.14%5,1823,50459.66%40.34%
 San Pablo16,18869.01%5,7095,46251.11%48.89%
 Sarapiquí23,40348.70%5,2286,16945.87%54.13%
  Province182,20849.45%43,05147,96247.30%52.70%
 Liberia33,39644.35%6,7188,09445.36%54.64%
 Nicoya33,32451.86%7,0659,69842.15%57.85%
 Santa Cruz30,36047.51%6,7277,69746.64%53.36%
 Bagaces10,05152.40%2,0043,26338.05%61.95%
 Carrillo17,71546.75%5,0453,23660.92%39.08%
 Cañas16,09750.03%4,1383,91651.38%48.62%
 Abangares10,62455.76%2,6053,31943.97%56.03%
 Tilarán12,26460.62%3,5353,90047.55%52.45%
 Nandayure6,77057.50%2,1971,69656.43%43.57%
 La Cruz8,04342.78%1,8741,56754.46%45.54%
 Hojancha4,56459.57%1,1431,57642.04%57.96%
  Province241,82447.01%55,90957,77449.18%50.82%
 Puntarenas72,06048.57%19,37815,62555.36%44.64%
 Esparza16,82557.88%5,1314,60752.69%47.31%
 Buenos Aires24,23848.44%4,7576,98340.52%59.48%
 Montes de Oro7,99960.51%2,3112,52947.75%52.25%
 Osa16,90142.00%3,5473,55249.96%50.04%
 Quepos14,89543.55%3,3233,16451.23%48.77%
 Golfito22,92541.76%4,2115,36343.98%56.02%
 Coto Brus24,95343.45%4,1506,69338.27%61.73%
 Parrita8,41844.39%2,3151,42261.95%38.05%
 Corredores25,15044.69%4,5656,67540.61%59.39%
 Garabito7,46045.34%2,2211,16165.67%34.33%
  Province210,02644.48%51,15742,27354.75%45.25%
 Limón58,89241.63%12,76411,75352.06%47.94%
 Pococí67,00148.42%17,15415,28952.87%47.13%
 Siquirres32,14141.67%8,9844,41067.07%32.93%
 Talamanca13,72243.97%1,7844,24929.57%70.43%
 Matina17,05144.52%5,0172,57466.09%33.91%
 Guácimo21,21944.54%5,4543,99857.70%42.30%
align=left colspan=8Source: TSE

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2007_06/0606071.htm CAFTA Referendum in Costa Rica Postponed
  2. http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/16682 Many Costa Ricans Still Favour CAFTA
  3. http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/16744 Costa Rican Voters Would Ratify CAFTA
  4. http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/16756 Most Decided Voters Oppose CAFTA in Costa Rica
  5. http://www.sudd.ch/event.php?lang=en&id=cr012007 Costa Rica, 7 October 2007: Free trade agreement with Central America and the U.S.
  6. Web site: Ecologistas contra el TLC. 15 August 2006.
  7. Web site: Nutrida participación de universitarios en marcha contra TLC.
  8. Web site: Movimiento Solidarista Costarricense pierde afiliación por posición a favor del TLC. 3 July 2007.
  9. http://www.tse.go.cr/ref/itpcuadro.htm Results in Absolute and Relative Numbers for the Referendum 2007