2002 Costa Rican general election

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 3 February 2002.[1] For the first time in the country's history, no candidate in the presidential election passed the 40% threshold.[2] This meant a second round of voting had to be held on 7 April which saw Abel Pacheco of the Social Christian Unity Party defeat the National Liberation Party's Rolando Araya Monge.[3]

2002 Costa Rican general election
3 February 2002 (2002-02-03) (first round)
7 April 2002 (2002-04-07) (second round)
Presidential election
 
Nominee Abel Pacheco Rolando Araya
Party PUSC PLN
Home state San José Alajuela
Popular vote 776,278 563,202
Percentage 58.0% 42.0%
President before election

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
PUSC

 Elected President

Abel Pacheco
PUSC

Legislative election
Party Leader % Seats ±
PUSC Abel Pacheco 29.8% 19 -8
PLN Rolando Araya Monge 27.1% 17 -6
PAC Ottón Solís 22.0% 14 New
ML Otto Guevara 9.3% 6 +5
PRC Justo Orozco Álvarez 3.6% 1 0
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Map on the left shows the seats won by each party by province. The map on the right shows which party won the plurality in each province in both rounds of the Presidential election.
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Many analysts consider this election the beginning of the end of Costa Rica’s decades-long two party system.[4][5][6] For the first time in many years alternative political forces become really relevant in the Parliament and the plenary had three large party groups; PUSC (19), PLN (17) and PAC (14).[7]

While PUSC won the presidential election and the majority in Congress, PLN became the primal opposition force in Parliament. Centre-left PAC with a progressive proposal seem to had gravely affected traditional third forces at the left of the spectrum like Democratic Force that fail to win any seat on that election even when for some years was Costa Rica’s main third party.[7] Right-wing Libertarian Movement also increases its representation from one to six deputies[7] while conservative[8] Costa Rican Renewal Party won one seat as usual.[7]

Despite the close contest, voter turnout was only 68.8% on 3 February the lowest since the 1958 elections. For the second round of the presidential elections it fell to 60.2%, the lowest since 1949.[9]

Background

Before the election, the country's Supreme Electoral Tribinal attempted to make several reforms to the electoral system. These included allowing independents to run in local elections, using electronic voting machines, allowing Costa Ricans living abroad to vote, and allowing voters to choose the top two places on parliamentary lists.[2] However, the changes were rejected by the Legislative Assembly, which noted that independent candidature was incompatible with the constitution, and that electronic voting could not be guaranteed to be secure or transparent.[2]

Results

President
Candidate Party First round Second round
Votes % Votes %
Abel PachecoSocial Christian Unity Party590,27738.58776,27857.95
Rolando Araya MongeNational Liberation Party475,03031.05563,20242.05
Ottón SolísCitizens' Action Party400,68126.19
Otto GuevaraLibertarian Movement25,8151.69
Justo Orozco ÁlvarezCosta Rican Renewal Party16,4041.07
Walter Muñoz CéspedesNational Integration Party6,2350.41
Vladimir De la Cruz De LemosDemocratic Force4,1210.27
Walter Coto MolinaCoalition Change 20003,9700.26
Rolando Angulo ZeledónGeneral Union Partyes2,6550.17
Daniel Reynolds VargasNational Patriotic Partyes1,6800.11
Marvin Calvo MontoyaChristian National Alliancees1,2710.08
José Hine GarcíaNational Rescue Party9050.06
Pablo Galo Angulo CasasolaIndependent Workers' Partyes8010.05
Invalid/blank votes39,573–33,463–
Total1,569,4181001,372,943100
Registered voters/turnout2,279,85168.842,279,85160.22
Source: TSE, TSE
Popular Vote-First round
Social Christian Unity
 
 38.6%
National Liberation
 
 31.1%
Citizens' Action
 
 26.2%
Libertarian Movement
 
 1.7%
Costa Rican Renewal
 
 1.1%
National Integration
 
 0.4%
Other
 
 0.9%
Popular Vote-Second round
Social Christian Unity
 
 58%
National Liberation
 
 42%

By province

First round

Province % PUSC % PLN % PAC % ML % PRC % PIN % FD % Other %
 San José 36.6 28.5 31.1 1.6 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.7
 Alajuela 37.8 34.1 24.7 1.4 0.9 0.3 0.2 0.6
 Cartago 35.4 31.8 28.4 1.9 0.7 0.5 0.4 1.0
 Heredia 36.1 26.8 33.2 1.6 1.1 0.4 0.2 0.7
 Puntarenas 45.0 33.8 15.8 2.5 1.7 0.2 0.3 0.9
 Limón 48.6 28.4 14.9 2.8 3.1 0.3 0.4 1.5
 Guanacaste 44.3 40.6 12.1 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.2 0.8
Total 38.6 31.1 26.2 1.7 1.1 0.4 0.3 0.9

Second round

Province PUSC % PLN %
 San José 57.7 42.3
 Alajuela 56.1 43.9
 Cartago 55.6 44.4
 Heredia 58.1 41.9
 Puntarenas 59.7 40.3
 Limón 67.0 33.0
 Guanacaste 57.1 42.9
Total 58.0 42.0

Parliament
Popular vote
Social Christian Unity
 
 29.8%
National Liberation
 
 27.1%
Citizens' Action
 
 22.0%
Libertarian Movement
 
 9.3%
Costa Rican Renewal
 
 3.6%
Democratic Force
 
 2.0%
National Integration
 
 1.7%
Other
 
 4.8%
Seats
Social Christian Unity
 
 33.33%
National Liberation
 
 29.82%
Citizens' Action
 
 24.56%
Libertarian Movement
 
 10.52%
Costa Rican Renewal
 
 1.75%
Party Votes % Seats +/–
Social Christian Unity Party453,20129.819–8
National Liberation Party412,38327.117–6
Citizens' Action Party334,16222.014New
Libertarian Movement142,1529.36+5
Costa Rican Renewal Party54,6993.610
Democratic Force30,1722.00–3
National Integration Party26,0841.70–1
Coalition Change 200012,9920.80New
Agrarian Labour Action Party10,8900.70–1
Workers' Independent Party8,0440.50New
National Patriotic Party7,1230.50New
Cartago Agrarian Union Party6,9740.500
Christian National Alliance Party6,8250.40New
General Union Party5,8830.400
National Rescue Party4,9370.300
National Agrarian Party2,5950.20New
Cartago Agrarian Force Party1,3900.10New
National Convergence1,3480.10New
Invalid/blank votes47,484–––
Total1,569,338100570
Registered voters/turnout2,279,85168.8––
Source: Election Resources

By province
Province PUSC PLN PAC ML PRC FD PIN Other
% S % S % S % S % S % S % S % S
 San José 27.1 6 24.2 5 27.0 6 11.8 2 3.6 1 1.7 0 1.8 0 2.8 0
 Alajuela 30.2 4 30.5 4 20.7 2 7.5 1 2.8 0 1.3 0 1.4 0 5.4 0
 Cartago 25.7 2 25.4 2 20.8 2 7.3 1 2.0 0 3.7 0 4.5 0 10.4 0
 Heredia 27.5 1 24.3 1 27.6 2 10.7 1 3.5 0 2.3 0 1.0 0 3.0 0
 Puntarenas 37.8 2 29.8 1 12.9 1 10.0 1 4.2 0 1.8 0 0.4 0 3.2 0
 Limón 37.3 2 26.2 2 12.7 1 8.1 1 5.6 0 2.7 0 0.8 0 9.4 0
 Guanacaste 37.9 2 39.1 2 10.3 0 2.8 0 6.2 0 1.2 0 0.4 0 2.2 0
Total 29.8 19 27.1 17 22.0 14 9.3 6 3.6 1 2.0 0 1.7 0 4.6 0

Municipal Councils
See also: 2002 Costa Rican municipal elections

The elections of municipal councilors of Costa Rica in 2002 were an electoral process held in parallel with the presidential and legislative elections. In them the 495 tenure aldermen and the 495 alternates that conform the 81 Municipal Councils were chosen.

The Central Canton of San José, the most populous, named 13 aldermen. Desamparados and Alajuela named 11. Others less populated (Puntarenas, Limón, Pococí, Heredia, Cartago, La Unión, San Carlos, Goicoechea, Pérez Zeledón, etc.) named 9. Others even smaller (Tibás, Grecia, Vázquez de Coronado, Montes de Oca, Siquirres, Escazú, Turrialba, etc.) appointed 7 council members. Finally, the smallest (Turrubares, San Mateo, Santa Ana, Mora, Montes de Oro, Talamanca, etc.) named 5.

PartyAldermenRange
Social Christian Unity Party178National
National Liberation Party178National
Citizens' Action Party101National
Libertarian Movement13National
File:Bandera Partido Renovacion.jpgborder
Costa Rican Renewal Party7National
Democratic Force4National
Escazu's Progressive Yoke3Escazu Canton
Agrarian Labour Action Party2National
Quepan Action2Quepos Canton
Party of the Sun2Santa Ana Canton
National Agrarian Party1National
File:Garabitoecologico.jpgborder
Ecological Garabito Party2Garabito Canton
21st Century Curridabat1Curridabat Canton
New Alajuelita1Alajuelita Canton
Paraisan Authentic Party1Paraiso Canton
Sarapican Authentic Party1Sarapiqui Canton
Independent Worker's Party1National
National Integration Party1National
National Rescue1National
Coalition Change 20001

Maps

President

First round

  • Voter turnout by canton
  • Party placed first by canton
  • PUSC strength by canton
  • PLN strength by canton
  • PAC strength by canton

Runoff

  • Voter turnout by canton
  • Party placed first by canton
  • PUSC strength by canton
  • PLN strength by canton

Parliament
  • Party placed first by canton
  • PUSC strength by canton
  • PLN strength by canton
  • PAC strength by canton
  • ML strength by canton
  • PRC strength by canton

Source: Atlas Electoral

References
  1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p. 150.
  3. "Election profile: Costa Rica". International Foundation for Electoral Systems. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  4. Landsford, Tom. Political Handbook of the World 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  5. Landsford, Tom. Political Handbook of the World 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  6. Greenspana, Eliot; Gill, Nicholas; O'Malley, Charlie; Gilsenan, Patrick; Perill, Jisel. Elecciones legislativas de Costa Rica de 2002. Frommer's Central America.
  7. "5 February 2002 Legislative Assembly Election Results - Costa Rica Totals". Election Resources. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  8. Lopez, Jaime (July 18, 2013). "Civic Groups Move Against Gay Marriage in Costa Rica". Costa Rica Star. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  9. Nohlen, pp. 156–157.
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