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Legislators slam Costa Rica over voting at WHO

A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker yesterday urged the government to demand an apology from Costa Rica -- one of Taiwan's allies -- for opposing the nation's bid for WHO membership.

The World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making arm of the WHO, on Monday adopted a motion -- following a vote of 148 to 17, with two abstentions -- to strike the issue of Taiwan's membership off the agenda.

Of Taiwan's 24 diplomatic allies, Costa Rica was the only one to vote in favor of the motion, while the six others were either absent from the session, abstained or had no voting rights.

Raising the issue during a meeting of the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Compatriot Affairs Committee, KMT Legislator Lee Chi-chu (李紀珠) said Taiwan had been spending money in Costa Rica just to get a "slap in the face" and that the Latin American country's move amounted to an open, public humiliation.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) urged the government to look into the position of those allies who failed to support Taiwan's bid during this year's WHA meeting.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it found Costa Rica's unfavorable vote against Taiwan regrettable.

Chen Hsin-tung (陳新東), deputy director-general of the ministry's Department of Central and South American affairs, said Vice Foreign Minister Hou Ching-shan (侯清山) had instructed Taiwanese Ambassador to Costa Rica Wu Ming-kuang (吳明廣) to voice Taiwan's concern.

"Miscommunication was the main reason [behind Costa Rica's vote]," Chen told reporters during a weekly briefing yesterday, saying that Costa Rica's ambassador to Geneva had just left Switzerland and his successor has not yet arrived to take over the post.

Carlos Garbanzo Blanco, Costa Rica's representative at the WHA meeting, did not understand the situation and hence cast a vote in opposition to Taiwan, Chen said.
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