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1986 Costa Rican general election

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FieldValue
countryCosta Rica
flag_yearstate
previous_election1982 Costa Rican general election
previous_year1982
election_date
next_election1990 Costa Rican general election
next_year1990
module{{Infobox election
embedyes
election_namePresidential election
typepresidential
registered1,486,474
turnout81.82% (3.19pp)
image1OscarArias.jpg
nominee1Óscar Arias
running_mate1Jorge Manuel Dengo
Victoria Garrón
party1National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)
popular_vote1620,314
percentage152.34%
image2Felipe González en rueda de prensa con el presidente de Costa Rica. Pool Moncloa. 27 de enero de 1993 (cropped).png
nominee2Rafael Ángel Calderón
running_mate2Ramón Aguilar
Jaime Gutiérrez
party2Social Christian Unity Party
popular_vote2542,434
percentage245.77%
map_imageElección Presidencial de Costa Rica (1986) (Distritos Administrativos).svg
map_captionResults by district
Arias:
module{{Infobox legislative election
embedyes
election_nameLegislative election
seats_for_electionAll 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly
majority_seats29
turnout81.81% ( 3.18pp)
party1National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)
leader1Óscar Arias
percentage147.83
seats129
last_election133
party2Social Christian Unity Party
leader2Rafael Ángel Calderón
percentage241.45
seats225
last_election218
party3United People (Costa Rica)
leader3
percentage32.70
seats31
last_election34
party4People's Alliance (Costa Rica)
leader4
percentage42.40
seats41
last_election4New
party5Cartago Agrarian Union Party
leader5
percentage51.16
seats51
last_election50
mapElecciones legislativas de Costa Rica de 1986 - Diputados por Provincia.svg
map_captionResults by province
titlePresident
before_electionLuis Alberto Monge
before_partyNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)
after_electionÓscar Arias
after_partyNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)

Victoria Garrón

Jaime Gutiérrez

Arias:

Calderón:
Tie:

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 2 February 1986. Óscar Arias of the National Liberation Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 82%.

Costa Rica was under a strong two-party system at the time. The country was undergoing military tensions with neighboring Nicaragua due to the recently happened Sandinista Revolution and Nicaragua's dictator Daniel Ortega's fighting of the right-wing Nicaraguan Contras in its southern border disregarding the official limits and confronting Costa Rica's police and security forces. Such skirmishes left one policeman's death and several wounded and both countries at the edge of war. Whilst some people blamed former president Rodrigo Carazo for allowing the FSLN to operate in the Costa Rican northern territory against then dictator Anastasio Somoza, others resented President Luis Alberto Monge's hawkish behavior toward Sandinista Nicaragua and his support of the Contras.

Former minister and deputy Oscar Arias faced former vice president Carlos Manuel Castillo in closed primaries. Castillo had the support of PLN's traditional leadership including former presidents and party's founders José Figueres Ferrer, Daniel Oduber Quirós and Luis Alberto Monge. Arias was seen as a young, alternative candidate and the "underdog" in the election, but managed to earn the majority of votes and popular support.

On the other side of the two-party system former Foreign Minister (under Carazo's administration) Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, son of historical leader of Calderonismo Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, was nominated by the Social Christian Unity Party, then main opposition force. This was Calderón's second attempt to win the Presidency.

During the campaign the topic of peace was central. Calderón tried to present himself as a hawk who felt no quarrels in facing Nicaragua militarily. Arias on the contrary tried to show himself as a man of peace and negotiator who would pacified the region. His slogan was "Paz para mi gente" (Peace for my People). In fact, some analysts also saw Arias' position as a strong criticism of Monge, of his own party, and his hardline position. Monge and Arias would be political enemies ever since.

PLN campaign also focused in showing Calderón as a man of war and remembering old historical periods, blaming Calderonism for the 1948 Civil War and the 1955 Somoza-endorsed Calderonistas' invasion attempt. The party even went so far as to show Calderón in a cartoon as a spoil kid ready for war wearing the clothing of Quico, a popular character from El Chavo del Ocho.

Results

President

The People's Alliance was a coalition of the People's Vanguard Party and the Broad Democratic Front.

By province

ProvinceArias %Calderón %Gutiérrez %Montero %Madrigal %Jiménez %National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}"Social Christian Unity Party}}"United People (Costa Rica)}}"People's Alliance (Costa Rica)}}"Independent Party (Costa Rica)}}"
San JoséNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"54.243.80.80.60.50.1
AlajuelaNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"53.045.80.50.40.30.1
CartagoNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"54.144.30.50.40.50.1
HerediaNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"52.845.20.80.60.50.1
Puntarenas48.2Social Christian Unity Party}}; color:white;"49.21.20.70.50.1
Limón42.4Social Christian Unity Party}}; color:white;"54.01.71.10.70.1
GuanacasteNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"50.148.70.30.50.30.1
TotalNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"52.345.80.80.60.50.1

Legislative Assembly

By province

ProvincePLNPUSCPUAPANCPRNIPUGOthersNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}"Social Christian Unity Party}}"United People (Costa Rica)}}"People's Alliance (Costa Rica)}}"National Republican Party (Costa Rica)}}"General Union Party}}"%S%S%S%S%S%S%S%S
San JoséNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"49.51040.393.412.911.900.800.600.60
AlajuelaNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"49.9542.051.201.301.100.600.103.90
CartagoNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"46.6337.521.701.701.300.600.1010.51
HerediaNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"48.3342.124.102.502.100.800.10--
PuntarenasNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"45.1344.232.213.101.701.500.302.00
Limón34.92Social Christian Unity Party}}; color:white;"44.624.815.501.701.400.906.20
GuanacasteNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"47.6345.621.400.802.501.700.30--
TotalNational Liberation Party (Costa Rica)}}; color:white;"47.82941.4252.712.411.700.900.402.71

Local governments

syndics|seattype4=+/–

References

References

  1. [[Dieter Nohlen]] (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p155 {{ISBN. 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p157
  3. (2004). "Costa Rica en el siglo veinte". [[Universidad Estatal a Distancia.
  4. "Proceso de selección de candid atos a presidente y diputados en el PLN y el PUSC (1990-2006)". Proyecto OIR/OPAL.
  5. (2004). "Cien años de política costarricense: 1902-2002, de Ascensión Esquivel a Abel Pacheco.". [[Universidad Estatal a Distancia.
  6. "Elecciones Regidurías 1982". Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones.
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