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1998 Costa Rican general election

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1998 Costa Rican general election
← 1994 1 February 1998[1] 2002 →
Presidential election
 
Candidate Miguel Ángel Rodríguez José Miguel Corrales Bolaños
Party PUSC PLN
Popular vote 652,160 618,834
Percentage 46.9% 44.5%
Results by canton
President before election

José María Figueres
PLN

Elected President

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
PUSC

Legislative election
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
PUSC Miguel Ángel Rodríguez 41.2% 27 +2
PLN José Miguel Corrales Bolaños 34.8% 23 −5
PFD Vladimir de la Cruz de Lemos 5.6% 3 +1
PML Federico Malavassi Calvo 3.1% 1 New
PIN Walter Muñoz Céspedes 2.8% 1 New
PRC Justo Orozco Álvarez 2.0% 1 New
PALA Guido Octavio Vargas Artavia 1.2% 1 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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General elections were held in Costa Rica on 1 February 1998.[2] Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of the Social Christian Unity Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 70%, the lowest since the 1950s.[3]

An economic recession, a teachers' strike due to a pensions' reform and some corruption scandals made President José María Figueres' government highly unpopular. Thus, government endorsed candidate José Miguel Corrales tried to distance himself from Figueres as much as possible. Corrales won over former President of Congress Jorge Walter Coto Molina in PLN's primaries but the discovery of Voter fraud damaged PLN's image and split the party.[4] On the contrary in PUSC, previous candidate Miguel Ángel Rodríguez was seen as the natural nominee for this election, and despite the fact that deputy Luis Fishman was rumored as a possible internal opponent, he finally declined and Rodríguez was nominated without the need of primaries, thus keeping the party united. During Figueres' administration the so call Figueres-Calderón Pact was signed between the leaders of the two main parties (and sons of the two caudillos of the 1948 civil war); him and Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier (Rodríguez political rival) to approve several mutually beneficial laws for both major parties, something that caused outrage among large segments of the population and started the downfall of the two-party system.[5]

Results

Candidate Party Votes %
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría Social Christian Unity Party 652,160 46.96
José Miguel Corrales Bolaños National Liberation Party 618,834 44.56
Vladimir de la Cruz de Lemos Democratic Force 41,710 3.00
Walter Muñoz Céspedes National Integration Party 19,934 1.44
Sherman Thomas Jackson Costa Rican Renewal Party 19,313 1.39
Álvaro González Espinoza Democratic Party 12,952 0.93
Federico Malavassi Calvo Libertarian Movement 5,874 0.42
Jorge González Martén National Independent Partyes 4,218 0.30
Alejandro Madrigal Benavides Christian National Alliancees 3,545 0.26
Norma Vargas Duarte United People 3,075 0.22
Rodrigo Gutiérrez Schwanhäuser New Democratic Party 3,025 0.22
Marina Volio Brenes National Rescue Party 2,681 0.19
Yolanda Gutiérrez Ventura Independent Party 1,377 0.10
Invalid/blank votes 43,215 –
Total 1,431,913 100
Registered voters/turnout 2,045,980 69.99
Source: Nohlen; TSE

By province

Province Rodríguez % Corrales % de la Cruz % Muñoz % Thomas % González % Malavassi % Other %
 San José 42.94 46.72 3.33 2.16 1.81 1.15 0.58 1.31
 Alajuela 46.86 45.67 3.13 0.96 1.21 0.92 0.30 0.95
 Cartago 44.35 47.69 3.16 1.37 0.81 0.99 0.29 1.34
 Heredia 43.39 46.35 3.45 1.63 2.12 1.41 0.35 1.30
 Guanacaste 55.63 40.61 1.76 0.30 0.58 0.14 0.15 0.83
 Puntarenas 56.23 38.57 1.88 0.47 0.52 0.26 0.40 1.67
 Limón 59.58 32.18 2.62 0.88 1.51 0.63 0.54 2.06
Total 46.96 44.56 3.00 1.44 1.39 0.93 0.42 1.30
Popular Vote
Rodríguez
 
 46.96%
Corrales
 
 44.56%
de la Cruz
 
 3.00%
Muñoz
 
 1.44%
Thomas
 
 1.39%
González
 
 0.93%
Malavassi
 
 0.42%
Other
 
 1.30%

Parliament

The country was for the time still under a heavy two-party system dynamics[6][7][8] and the two main parties at the time; National Liberation Party and Social Christian Unity Party won most of the votes. Nevertheless, some third forces also won seats on the Parliament, among them left-wing Democratic Force won two seats. It was also the first time that liberal Libertarian Movement and Christian conservative[9] Costa Rican Renewal won seats (one each) in the Parliament both for their future presidential candidates Otto Guevara and Justo Orozco respectively. The small party National Integration Party led by medic Walter Muñoz won its only seat in history until the 2018 election.

Popular Vote
Social Christian Unity
 
 41.18%
National Liberation
 
 34.83%
Democratic Force
 
 5.77%
Libertarian Movement
 
 3.08%
National Integration
 
 2.78%
Costa Rican Renewal
 
 2.02%
Democratic
 
 1.23%
Agrarian Labour Action
 
 1.23%
United People
 
 1.09%
Nat. Independent
 
 0.92%
Other
 
 5.87%
Seats
Social Christian Unity
 
 47.37%
National Liberation
 
 40.35%
Democratic Force
 
 5.26%
Libertarian Movement
 
 1.75%
National Integration
 
 1.75%
Costa Rican Renewal
 
 1.75%
Agrarian Labour Action
 
 1.75%
Party Votes % Seats +/–
Social Christian Unity Party 569,792 41.18 27 +2
National Liberation Party 481,933 34.83 23 -5
Democratic Force 79,826 5.77 3 +1
Libertarian Movement 42,640 3.08 1 New
National Integration Party 38,408 2.78 1 New
Costa Rican Renewal Party 27,892 2.02 1 New
Democratic Party 17,060 1.23 0 New
Agrarian Labour Action Party 16,955 1.23 1 +1
United People 15,028 1.09 0 0
National Independent Partyes 12,794 0.92 0 0
General Union Partyes 12,583 0.91 0 0
New Democratic Party 12,476 0.90 0 New
National Rescue Party 9,588 0.69 0 New
Christian National Alliancees 9,176 0.66 0 0
National Agrarian Party 7,497 0.54 0 -1
Cartago Agrarian Union Party 7,138 0.52 0 -1
Alajuelense Democratic Action 6,614 0.48 0 0
Independent Party 6,025 0.44 0 0
Change Now 2,223 0.16 0 New
National Convergence Party 2,197 0.16 0 0
Limonese Authentic Party 2,167 0.16 0 0
Cartago Agrarian Force 1,892 0.14 0 New
Independent Guanacaste Party 1,623 0.12 0 0
Invalid/blank votes 47,052 – – –
Total 1,415,319 100 57 0
Registered voters/turnout 1,881,348 69.99 – –
Source: TSE; Election Resources

By province

Province PUSC PLN FD ML PIN PRC PD PU Others
% S % S % S % S % S % S % S % S % S
 San José 37.60 8 36.21 8 7.31 2 4.64 1 4.69 1 2.44 1 1.60 0 0.88 0 4.63 0
 Alajuela 40.89 4 35.52 4 5.20 1 1.40 0 1.30 0 1.38 0 1.08 0 0.41 0 12.82 1
 Cartago 39.39 3 36.49 3 5.14 0 1.71 0 2.08 0 0.97 0 1.15 0 1.75 0 11.32 0
 Heredia 39.20 3 35.85 2 7.12 0 2.45 0 3.22 0 2.48 0 1.76 0 1.12 0 6.80 0
 Guanacaste 50.05 3 33.66 2 4.19 0 1.08 0 0.55 0 3.10 0 0.21 0 0.62 0 6.54 0
 Puntarenas 50.50 4 32.42 2 3.05 0 3.95 0 0.97 0 1.16 0 0.70 0 1.60 0 5.65 0
 Limón 47.71 2 24.30 2 2.70 0 3.29 0 1.11 0 2.49 0 0.74 0 2.88 0 14.78 0
Total 41.18 27 34.83 23 5.77 3 3.08 1 2.78 1 2.02 1 1.23 0 1.09 0 8.02 1

Local governments

Alderpeople
Social Christian Unity
 
 46.89%
National Liberation
 
 39.10%
Regionalist
 
 4.84%
Democratic Force
 
 4.15%
Libertarian Movement
 
 0.69%
National Integration
 
 0.52%
General Union
 
 0.52%
Independent
 
 0.52%
National Rescue
 
 0.35%
National Independent
 
 0.35%
New Democratic
 
 0.35%
United People
 
 0.17%
Municipal Syndics
Social Christian Unity
 
 66.00%
National Liberation
 
 32.44%
Regionalist
 
 1.56%
Parties Popular vote Alderpeople Municipal Syndics
Votes % ±pp Total +/- Total +/-
Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) 564,531 40.86 -0.65 271 +39 295 +190
National Liberation Party (PLN) 488,870 35.38 -10.98 226 -43 145 -178
Democratic Force (FD) 85,313 6.17 +1.27 24 +2 0 0
Libertarian Movement (ML) 33,544 2.43 New 4 New 0 New
Costa Rican Renewal Party (PRC) 25,654 1.86 New 0 New 0 New
National Integration Party (PIN) 23,896 1.73 New 3 New 0 New
Democratic Party (PD) 19,204 1.39 New 0 New 0 New
Agrarian Labour Action Party (PALA) 15,157 1.10 +0.76 7 +7 2 +2
National Independent Party (PNI) 14,975 1.08 +0.49 2 +2 0 0
General Union Party (PUG) 13,378 0.99 -0.65 3 -1 0 0
New Democratic Party (NPD) 12,804 0.93 New 2 New 0 New
United People (UP) 12,216 0.88 +0.88 1 +1 0 0
National Rescue Party (PRESNA) 11,385 0.82 New 2 New 0 New
Escazu's Progressive Yoke (YPE) 9,699 0.70 New 4 New 3 New
Independent Party (PI) 8,095 0.59 +0.18 3 +3 0 0
National Agrarian Party (PAN) 7,827 0.57 -0.56 5 -2 0 0
21st Century Curridabat (CSXXI) 5,117 0.37 New 2 New 1 New
National Convergence Party (PCN) 4,044 0.29 +0.05 1 +1 0 0
Alajuelense Democratic Action (PADA) 4,027 0.29 -0.49 1 -2 0 0
Party of the Sun (PdS) 3,628 0.26 New 2 New 2 New
Christian National Alliance (ANC) 2,787 0.20 +0.20 0 0 0 0
Independent Guanacaste Party (PGI) 2,610 0.19 -0.14 2 0 0 0
Cartago Agrarian Force (FAC) 2,430 0.18 New 0 New 0 New
Limonense Authentic Party (PAL) 1,871 0.14 -0.17 1 0 0 0
Humanist Party of Montes de Oca (PH-MdO) 1,870 0.14 New 1 New 0 New
Change Now (CYA) 1,790 0.13 New 0 New 0 New
Independent Belemite Party (PIB) 1,386 0.10 New 1 New 0 New
New Alajuelita Party (PALNU) 1,350 0.10 -0.07 1 0 0 0
Humanist Party of Heredia (PH-Her) 1,128 0.08 New 0 New 0 New
Golfitenean Action Party (PAGOL) 694 0.05 New 0 New 0 New
Total 1,380,833 100.00 - 578 +34 447 +19
Invalid votes 49,341 3.45
Votes cast / turnout 1,430,174 69.99
Abstentions 614,999 30.01
Registered voters 2,045,173 100%
Sources[10]

References

  1. ^ "February 1,Election Results - Costa Rica Totals". Election Resources. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  2. ^ Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  3. ^ Nohlen, pp156-157
  4. ^ Fernández, Oscar Costa Rica. La reafirmación del bipartidismo Revista Nueva Sociedad No.131, PP. 4-10
  5. ^ "Copia archivada". Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  6. ^ Landsford, Tom (20 March 2014). Political Handbook of the World 2014. ISBN 9781483386263. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  7. ^ Landsford, Tom (2 April 2012). Political Handbook of the World 2012. ISBN 9781608719952. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  8. ^ Greenspana, Eliot; Gill, Nicholas; O'Malley, Charlie; Gilsenan, Patrick; Perill, Jisel. Elecciones legislativas de Costa Rica de 2002. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Lopez, Jaime (July 18, 2013). "Civic Groups Move Against Gay Marriage in Costa Rica". Costa Rica Star. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Elecciones Regidurías 1998". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
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