SAN JOSE (Reuters) – Costa Ricans will choose a brand new president on Sunday to steer the Central American nation by mounting debt woes and social discontent in a run-off between an anti-establishment outsider and former leader.
Final polling gave economist Rodrigo Chaves, a former longtime World Bank official, a slight lead over former President Jose Maria Figueres. Chaves had 41% of help, whereas Figueres was seen with 38%, with many citizens nonetheless undecided, in accordance to a ballot by the University of Costa Rica revealed Tuesday.
Chaves, who additionally briefly served as finance minister for outgoing President Carlos Alvarado, got here second in an preliminary vote in February. Seen as a renegade, he has vowed to shake up the ranks of the political elite, even pledging to use referendums to bypass Congress to deliver change.
Figueres, whose father was additionally president for 3 separate phrases, campaigned on his expertise and household political legacy. He has promised to elevate post-coronavirus pandemic financial development and increase inexperienced industries in the environmentally progressive nation.
Going into the election, some voters stated they had been lukewarm on each candidates, whose political careers have been tainted by accusations of wrongdoings.
Chaves confronted allegations of sexual harassment throughout his tenure on the World Bank, which he denied. Figueres resigned as govt director of the World Economic Forum in 2004 amid accusations in Costa Rica that he had influenced state contracts with the telecoms firm Alcatel, a case that was by no means tried in courtroom.
“I can not vote for Figueres or something that appears just like the PLN,” stated Olger Quesada, a vendor in San Jose, referring to the centrist National Liberation Party (PLN), which has typically held energy at nationwide and native degree over the previous half-century. “I’m not enthusiastic about Chaves, however at the least he is somebody new.”
Only 60% of eligible voters solid ballots in the primary spherical, the bottom determine in a long time. The margin between Chaves and Figueres, which has more and more narrowed since Figueres led the primary spherical, means undecided voters signify a key 18% piece of the pie that might sway the election in favor of both candidate.
“Chaves retains an edge due largely to Figueres’ comparatively greater rejection charges and the load that voters give his corruption allegations relative to Chaves’ sexual harassment-related baggage,” consultancy group Eurasia stated in a observe. “But the excessive degree of undecided voters and very fluid voter preferences imply that Figueres might nonetheless pull out a win.”
A brand new president will likely be tasked with managing Costa Rica’s economic system which plunged into its worst recession in 40 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 23% of the nation’s inhabitants of 5.1 million stay in poverty. A rising revenue disparity makes it some of the unequal international locations in the world and unemployment is working at virtually 15%.
Costa Rica agreed in January 2021 to $1.78 billion in monetary help from the International Monetary Fund. In return, the federal government stated it could push by a raft of fiscal adjustments and austerity measures, however lawmakers have solely handed a regulation to make financial savings on public sector employees advantages.
Polling facilities open at 6 a.m. native time (1200 GMT) and will shut at 6 p.m. (0000 GMT Monday). The first outcomes are anticipated after 8 p.m. native time from the headquarters of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
(Reporting by Diego Ore and Alvaro Murillo, writing by Cassandra Garrison, Editing by Dave Graham, Ana Isabel Martinez and Alistair Bell)
