Former President José Maria Figueres stands out clearly with 27.40% of the vote, according to the count of 63.9% of the ballots, announces the Supreme Electoral Court.
Le Monde with AFP
Former Costa Rican President José Maria Figueres, 67, the candidate of the National Liberation Party (PLN, Left Center) was clearly detached before his 24 competitors with 27.40% of the vote, according to the count of 63, 9% of the ballots in the presidential election of Sunday, February 6, announced the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE).
The second place is contested between the former Minister of the Rodrigo Chaves Economy, Transfuge from the Outgoing Government, which collects 16.70% of the votes and the preacher evangelical Conservative Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz (15.50%) which had been beaten on the thread in the second round by the outgoing President Carlos Alvarado.
On the other hand, Linet Saborio, candidate of the Social-Christian Party (PUSC, Right Center) is distanced with 12.80% of the bulletins stripped and recognized half-word his failure. The surveys, however, gave favorite the old 61-year-old Vice President (2002-2006) for the second qualifying place for the second round on April 3rd.
It is acquired that no candidate will obtain 40% of the vote, imposing a second round.
Twenty-five candidates
A record of twenty-five candidates led Sunday the presidency of Costa Rica, a small country of Central American famous for its stability, its quality of life and the richness of its environment which attracted millions of tourists before the pandemic of Covid -19.
The polling stations, open at 6 hours, closed at 6 pm (1 hour in the morning Monday Paris). Some 3.5 million voters were called to the polls to choose a president and also elect the 57 deputies of the National Assembly. On the eve of the vote 31.8% of the voters were still undecided, according to one last survey, paving the way to a surprise.
The election day took place “normally” but abstentionism reached about 40%, a record digit, according to the TSE.
The Costa Rica “is a country with a robust democracy (…). It shows elements that can serve as an example to other countries,” greeted Isabel of Saint Malo, who leads the mission of observation of the Voting of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Saveting outgoing Team
Welmer Ramos, the Citizen Action Party candidate (CAP, left center) since 2014, is spectacularly sanctioned with 0.66% of the ballots, the victim of record unpopularity at 72% of the Outbound government team.
On a population of about five million inhabitants “There are a million and a half people living below the poverty line, and half a million in extreme poverty,” said Mr. Figueres after submitting His newsletter in the urn on Sunday morning.
The small country, to the flattering reputation of “Swiss Central America”, is indeed confronted with an economic crisis aggravated by the Pandemic of Covid-19, as well as scandals of corruption of magnitude unprecedented. Unemployment has been rising for more than a decade, reaching 14.4% in 2021, in very slight decline compared to 2020, at the height of the health crisis. Last year, 23% of the inhabitants of Costa Rica lived below the poverty line while the debt reached 70% of the gross domestic product.
Ministers, former ministers and mayors were also splashed last year by two corruption cases regarding malpractices and bribes for multi-million dollar public works markets. These scandals have undermined the credibility and reputation of the policies, and the power team.