San Jose, Costa Rica – Oscar Arias, a former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, held a razor-thin lead Monday over a lesser known economist who opposes ratifying a regional free-trade accord with the United States.
Arias, a supporter of the commercial pact, had 40.5 percent of the vote compared to 40.2 percent for Otton Solis, with votes from 87 percent of the polling places counted. Twelve other candidates split much of the rest.
The winner needs at least 40 percent to become president outright and avoid a second round in April.
Pre-election polls had predicted an easy victory for Arias, the center-right National Liberation Party candidate who helped end the bloody conflicts that wracked Central America in the 1980s. The polls showed Solis, of the Citizens’ Action Party, with little more than a quarter of the vote.
But analysts said Solis was aided by voters’ polarization over the so-called CAFTA-DR free-trade pact with the United States.
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic already have approved the pact, leaving Costa Rica as the only eligible country yet to ratify it.
“This election is a clear example that Costa Ricans are forcing politicians to take them into account when deciding which route will take us toward development,” political analyst Rodolfo Cerda said.
Solis argues that the accord would ruin small-scale farmers and deepen poverty in Costa Rica.
Arias, who served as president from 1986-90, argues that joining the Central American Free Trade Agreement would help revitalize a stagnant economy and improve living standards for the 20 percent of the population living in poverty.
The winner of the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for working to end Central America’s civil wars also said would use his mediation skills to bring together a divided country.
“I will have to pay attention to half of the population who didn’t vote for me,” Arias said. “But I can tell you that I know how to negotiate. I’m a conciliatory, humble listener.” Solis served as minister of planning during Arias’ first administration but in 2001 formed Citizens’ Action, a party that became Costa Rica’s second-largest after corruption scandals rocked the ruling Social Christian Unity Party. He lost the presidential election four years ago.
He has promised to create a government that will fight corruption and put “people before foreign corporations.” “Costa Ricans knew there were candidates trying to win this election with money and a long campaign, but the results show our people wouldn’t allow it,” Solis said.
Preliminary results showed Arias’ National Liberation party won the largest bloc in congress, with 25 seats, but fell short of a majority in the 57-member congress. Solis’ party had the second-largest congressional bloc with 17 seats.
Voters also chose two vice presidents and dozens of city councilors.
Turnout was 65 percent – the lowest in Costa Rican history – a level of indifference analysts blamed on corruption scandals involving three former presidents.
Arias acknowledged the scandals influenced the election.
“The doubts people have about (former presidents) was a factor for such a tight race,” Arias said. “I’m a former president, and here people seem to be lumping all ex-presidents in the same group.” For the past 48 years, Costa Rica’s presidents have belonged to the Social Christian Unity or National Liberation parties. Two former Social Christian Unity presidents are being investigated for corruption and a former National Liberation leader has refused to return to Costa Rica to answer a congressional inquiry about similar allegations.
“The major parties have always handed each other power and accumulated too much corruption,” said Johnny Ortega, a 64-year-old economist who said he voted for Solis.
