San José (Costa Rica), June 1, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Brazil's Federal Electoral Court (TSE)should participate in Costa Rica's general elections set for February, 2006, according to a preliminary agreement reached yesterday (31) in San José between Minister Sepúlveda Pertence; the president of the Federal Electoral Court of Costa Rica, Minister Oscar Fonseca Montoya; and the representative of the OAS (Organization of American States), Santiago Murray.

The agreement was signed at the first of a series of four presentations of Brazil's electronic voting system, yesterday (31) and today, by Ministers Pertence and Fernando Neves (rapporteur of electoral instructions during the 2004 elections) for the press, political parties, and Costa Rican legislators.

In his formal address, Pertence repeated the discourse he has been making in other countries interested in the electronic ballot box. According to him, besides being important, it could be considered Brazil's obligation to participate in the democratic process on the continent, as a way to redress nearly two centuries of Brazilian isolation vis-à-vis the other countries of Latin America. "It is of fundamental importance for Brazil to transfer technology to Costa Rica, since this country is an electoral and democratic symbol for all the Americas," Pertence observed.

Costa Rica is the fourth Latin American country to take an official interest in the Brazilian system. Prior to this, the TSE has furnished ballot boxes for general, provincial, and municipal elections in Paraguay, Mexico, and Argentina, always through agreements with the OAS. Ecuador will use Brazilian ballot boxes in October of this year for municipal elections. Besides these countries, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua are interested in the Brazilian system.

Translator: David Silberstein