Costa Rica Heads to Elections

(MENAFN) On Sunday, Costa Ricans will visit the polls to determine who will assume the presidency next and to select new members of the lower chamber of congress. The general election appears to strongly favor the continuity of the present right-wing administration and its conservative policies.

Although numerous parties are vying for influence, surveys indicate a decisive win for the Sovereign People’s Party (Partido Pueblo Soberano), suggesting the conservative leadership of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles will continue, potentially enabling significant reforms to be enacted.

Voters will be choosing a total of 60 officials: the president, two vice presidents, and 57 representatives for the Legislative Assembly, all of whom will serve four-year terms.

Polling stations open at 6 a.m. local time, and over the course of the following 12 hours, roughly 3.7 million eligible citizens are expected to vote. This follows four years under Chaves Robles’ administration and occurs amid rising public concern about violence and organized crime infiltration.

Campaigning officially ended on Jan. 30. Out of the 20 presidential candidates, three are considered the main contenders, each with a realistic chance of competing for leadership in both the initial and, if necessary, the second round of voting.

Currently leading in the polls is Laura Fernandez Delgado, the protege of the sitting president, representing the ruling Sovereign People’s Party. Surveys, including the latest conducted by the Center for Political Research and Studies (CIEP), show her support at 44%, exceeding the constitutional 40% threshold needed to secure a first-round victory outright.

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