Costa Rica News – The lawyer and gay activist, Yashin Castrillo, presented the Sala IV an appeal against the Presidential decision to lift vetoes on the grounds of its unconstitutional nature.
According to Castrillo, Solís’s decision violates the principles of legal reservation, division of powers, legal security and the democratic principle.
Solís lifted a veto which the then governor Óscar Arias issued on 5th August 2009, planning to give 13 bis street, San José, to the market vendors so that they might develop their own marketplace..
“It’s violating the principle of the law and the division of powers. For example, when a President in office leaves a veto without amending or lifting it, it means that they are becoming a legislator. It’s encouraging the sort of competition and rivalry that the Constitution prohibits”, explained Castrillo.
As far as the principle of legal security is concerned, the lawyer believes that if we allow Presidents to remove certain legal vetoes, citizens will have no security over their rights or obligations.
Finally, the lawyer alleges that Solís is violating the democratic principle because, if a President reinstates a law, they eliminate the process of representatives deliberating because they then become the sole author of laws.
“In a discussion with 57 representatives, most of them can vote against the approval of the bill, and this will be duly noted. Then a single person arrives and says that the bill has to now become a law; they are thereby eliminating the discussion and the deliberation which are guaranteed democratic principles held by citizens represented by legislators”, the lawyer explained.
Vanlly Cantillano, spokesperson for the Sala IV, said that the admissibility for this action is currently being studied.
Translated by Leah Hendre from La Nacion
