Eleven out of the 26 candidates from Guanacaste who aspire to a seat in the Legislative Assembly participated in a forum to dialogue with people from communities in the province. Most of the candidates didn’t respond with concrete proposals for bills that they would push if elected to Congress.
The forum was called “Diálogos políticos desde los territorios” (Political Dialogues from the Territories) and was an initiative organized starting back before October by the Political Studies Research Center (CIEP for the Spanish acronym) from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Institute of Municipal Education and Training and Local Development (IFCMDL for the Spanish acronym) from the State Distance University (UNED for the Spanish acronym). They will post a dialogue for each province on their Youtube channel.
Although they invited all of the political parties, not all of the candidates participated. Notably absent were figures such as Luis Fernando Mendoza from National Liberation, Maria Rosa Angulo from Citizen Action, Grettel Sanchez from A Just Costa Rica and Daniela Segnini from New Republic, whose parties appear in the top eight that people intend to vote for, according to the latest CIEP poll.
Ideas and few proposals
Throughout the forum, questions revolved around 1. work and labor relations, 2. health and social security, 3. environment and territory and 4. violence and social exclusion.
In the first block of time, candidates answered “yes” or “no” to a question previously collected by those who organized the dialogue.
In the second block of time, residents of the province posed questions to those who hope to represent them. The main topics revolved around sustainable development, regulatory plans, employment, the childcare network, business ventures and gender violence.
However, most of the candidates left residents disappointed because instead of responding with specific proposals to their concerns, they just came up with general ideas.
In the last block, the candidates offered closing words and reflected. Christian Socialist Melina Ajoy said that in one of her legislations, she would promote the creation of an oncology tower in Guanacaste. On the same subject of health, Emilce Diaz, from United We Can, emphasized “a larger hospital in Liberia with more specialists” and clinical laboratories in the cantons.
Maria Elena Paniagua, former mayor of Santa Cruz and now a candidate for the Liberal Progressive party, said, without specifying how, that her party would carry out a “great educational reform.”
For her part, Maria del Pilar Rivas, from Our Town, brought up the plan to hold referendums to decide on legalizing digital transportation platforms, opening up the Recope monopoly and eliminating luxury pensions.
Read the full transcript of “Political Dialogue from the Territories: Guanacaste” here (in Spanish).
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