(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Laura Chinchilla is a comfortable frontrunner ahead of Costa Rica’s presidential election, according to a poll by Borge & Asociados published in Diario Extra. 36.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the candidate of the ruling Liberal National Party (PLN) in next month’s ballot.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Laura Chinchilla is a comfortable frontrunner ahead of Costa Rica’s presidential election, according to a poll by Borge & Asociados published in Diario Extra. 36.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the candidate of the ruling Liberal National Party (PLN) in next month’s ballot.
Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement (ML) is far behind with 16.2 per cent, followed by former economy minister Ottón Solís of the Citizens Action Party (PAC) with 8.5 per cent, and Luis Fishman of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUCS) with 2.2 per cent. Support is lower for Óscar López of the Party for Accessibility without Exclusion (PASE) and Rolando Araya of Patriotic Alliance (AP).
The PLN’s Óscar Arias won the February 2006 presidential election with 40.92 per cent of all cast ballots. Solís finished in second place with 39.80 per cent. Arias had headed the government from 1986 to 1990, and was able to run again after the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly opted to bring back presidential re-election in 2003. He was sworn in for the second time in May 2006.
On Jan. 4, Solís commented on voting-intention polls placing him behind Chinchilla and Guevara, saying, "The polls fail completely in predicting electoral results in Costa Rica. The PAC is much higher in terms of popular support; we feel it in our tours."
Costa Ricans will vote in a general election on Feb. 7. Under current regulations, a presidential run-off would be required if none of the presidential candidates garner more than 40 per cent of the vote on election day.
Polling Data
Which of these candidates would you vote for in the 2010 presidential election?
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Laura Chinchilla (PLN)
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36.7%
|
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Otto Guevara (ML)
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16.2%
|
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Ottón Solís (PAC)
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8.5%
|
|
Luis Fishman (PUSC)
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2.2%
|
|
Óscar López (PASE)
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0.6%
|
|
Rolando Araya (AP)
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0.5%
|
Source: Borge & Asociados / Diario Extra
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Costa Rican adults, conducted from Nov. 31 to Dec. 14, 2009. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.
