The candidate of the right-wing party “Independent People“ Laura Fernandez won yesterday's presidential election in Costa Rica in the first round, after receiving 49.61% support with 69.4% of the votes counted in the sections, EFE reported, BTA reported.
“We were attentive to every detail to guarantee you once again the purity of the vote […] Thank you for these exemplary elections – free and authentic, which once again pay homage to the noblest Costa Rican tradition“, said the president of the Supreme Electoral Court, Eugenia Zamora.
Let us “respect the verdict of the ballot box, without giving up democratic criticism and oversight of those in power“, said Zamora, and appealed for “responsibility to stop the escalation of insults“, which does not help the country in its search for solutions in the fight against “poverty, ignorance and crime“.
Fernández, who was a minister in the government of former President Rodrigo Chavez, declared herself his successor and the person who will ensure the continuation of his initiatives.
To win in the first round, a candidate must receive at least 40% of the valid votes. If no one reaches this threshold, a second round is necessary on April 5. 20 candidates for president and 1,207 candidates for 57 seats in parliament registered for these elections.