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Costa Rica Holds General Elections
(MENAFN) Costa Rica began its general elections on Sunday, with up to 3.7 million eligible voters casting ballots to choose the country’s next president and a new legislature.
Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and are set to close at 6 p.m. (0000 GMT Monday). Voters are electing a president, two vice presidents, and 57 members of Congress for a four-year term.
To include citizens living abroad, the government has enabled voting at 49 consulates in 42 countries. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal said up to 67,270 overseas voters are registered and can vote between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time.
Although 20 candidates are competing in the presidential race, recent polls show Laura Fernandez Delgado of the ruling Sovereign People’s Party as the clear front-runner. Considered a political ally and successor to President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Fernandez is polling as high as 44%, according to surveys including an exit poll by the Center for Political Research and Studies. Costa Rican law allows a candidate to win outright in the first round with at least 40% of the vote.
Fernandez’s campaign is widely seen as a continuation of Chaves Robles’ conservative agenda, with an emphasis on economic policy and public security.
Other candidates remain well behind. Her nearest rival, Alvaro Roberto Ramos of the left-leaning National Liberation Party, is polling at 9.2%, followed by Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition at 8.6%, according to the same poll.
The newly elected president is scheduled to take office on May 8, while the new legislature will be sworn in on May 1. If no candidate secures 40% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on April 5.
Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and are set to close at 6 p.m. (0000 GMT Monday). Voters are electing a president, two vice presidents, and 57 members of Congress for a four-year term.
To include citizens living abroad, the government has enabled voting at 49 consulates in 42 countries. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal said up to 67,270 overseas voters are registered and can vote between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time.
Although 20 candidates are competing in the presidential race, recent polls show Laura Fernandez Delgado of the ruling Sovereign People’s Party as the clear front-runner. Considered a political ally and successor to President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Fernandez is polling as high as 44%, according to surveys including an exit poll by the Center for Political Research and Studies. Costa Rican law allows a candidate to win outright in the first round with at least 40% of the vote.
Fernandez’s campaign is widely seen as a continuation of Chaves Robles’ conservative agenda, with an emphasis on economic policy and public security.
Other candidates remain well behind. Her nearest rival, Alvaro Roberto Ramos of the left-leaning National Liberation Party, is polling at 9.2%, followed by Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition at 8.6%, according to the same poll.
The newly elected president is scheduled to take office on May 8, while the new legislature will be sworn in on May 1. If no candidate secures 40% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on April 5.
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