Alvarez & Castro In Close Race to Be 2018 Costa Rican President

Costa Rica News – Thought it may not seem like it, Costa Rica is in the midst of a presidential election. Unlike past elections, the 2018 poll is humdrum – lacking excitement or variety, dull.

The top contenders are Antonio Alvarez Desanti, Juan Diego Castro, Rodolfo Piza and Rodolfo Hernandez. Of course, we can’t forget the perennial presidential candidate, Otto Guevara, his fifth consecutive attempt to sit in the president’s chair.

The other candidates, in order of their popularity (from high to low), are Frabicio Alvarado, Carlos Alvarado, Edgardo Araya, Guevara, Mario Redondo, Stephanie Campos, Sergio Mena, Oscar Lopez and Jhon Vega.

Their popularity is based on the latest poll by OPol Consultores and published on ELMundo.cr, conducted between January 9 and 11. Interviewed were 2,875 people throughout the country.

In the poll, front-runner Alvarez of the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN) maintains a narrow lead over former minister of Justice, Juan Diego Castro of the Partido Integración Nacional (PIN).

The poll gives Alvarez a 26.2% popularity, while Castro is at 25.3%.

Trailing behind the leaders are Piza of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) with a 15.3% popularity and Hernandez of the Partido Republicano Social Cristiano (PRSC) with 11.1%.

Fabricio Alvarado of the Restauración Nacional (RN) and Carlos Alvarado of the Partido Accion Cuiadana (PAC) have a popularity of 8.3% and 5.7%, respectively.

All the others are below 2% each. Edgardo Araya (1,8%), Otto Guevara (1,4%), Mario Redondo (1,4%) Stephanie Campos (1,1%), Sergio Mena (1%), Oscar López (0,7%) y Jhon Vega (0,7%).

OPol Consultores has been conducting opinion polls on the perception of the population and electoral preferences since July 2015, prior to the call for municipal elections of 2016, hired by political figures and digital media.

Starting this month, the consulting firm, approved by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) – elections tribunal – has started carrying out weekly polls, to measure the intention of the vote and evaluate changes.

General elections will be held in Costa Rica on February 4, 2018, to elect both the President and Legislative Assembly.

The newly elected president takes office at noon on May 8, 2018, for a four-year term.

From QCostaRica