(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Costa Ricans could elect their first female president ever in this Sunday’s ballot, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 43 per cent of respondents would vote for Laura Chinchilla of the governing Liberal National Party (PLN) in the election, down one point since mid-January.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Costa Ricans could elect their first female president ever in this Sunday’s ballot, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 43 per cent of respondents would vote for Laura Chinchilla of the governing Liberal National Party (PLN) in the election, down one point since mid-January.
Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement (ML) is second with 30 per cent, followed by former economy minister Ottón Solís of the Citizens Action Party (PAC) with 15 per cent, and Luis Fishman of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUCS) with eight per cent.
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.
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. 27, while celebrating the official end of her campaign, Chinchilla acknowledged that the Central American country still needs better policies on employment, security and inequality, but added, "Costa Rica began to walk again four years ago and now is the time to move forward, not for a change that we don’t know where it can lead us."
Costa Ricans will vote in a general election on Feb. 7.
Polling Data
Which of these candidates would you vote for in the 2010 presidential election?
|
|
Jan. 24
|
Jan. 17
|
Dec. 2009
|
|
Laura Chinchilla (PLN)
|
43%
|
44%
|
45%
|
|
Otto Guevara (ML)
|
30%
|
27%
|
19%
|
|
Ottón Solís (PAC)
|
15%
|
12%
|
13%
|
|
Luis Fishman (PUSC)
|
8%
|
10%
|
9%
|
|
Rolando Araya (AP)
|
n.a.
|
n.a.
|
3%
|
|
Óscar López (PASE)
|
n.a.
|
n.a
|
2%
|
|
Other / None / Not sure
|
4%
|
7%
|
9%
|
Source: CID-Gallup
Methodology: Interviews with 903 Costa Rican adults, conducted from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24, 2010. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
