2002 Costa Rican general election

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 3 February 2002.[1] For the first time in the country's history, no candidate in the presidential election passed the 40% threshold.[2] This meant a second round of voting had to be held on 7 April which saw Abel Pacheco of the Social Christian Unity Party defeat the National Liberation Party's Rolando Araya Monge.[3]

2002 Costa Rican general election

3 February 2002 (2002-02-03) (first round) 7 April 2002 (2002-04-07) (second round)

Presidential election

Nominee Abel Pacheco Rolando Araya Party PUSC PLN Popular vote 776,278 563,202 Percentage 57.95% 42.05%

First round results Second round results

President before election Miguel Ángel Rodríguez PUSC Elected President Abel Pacheco PUSC

Parliamentary election

Party Leader % Seats +/– PUSC Abel Pacheco 29.78 19 -8 PLN Rolando Araya Monge 27.10 17 -6 PAC Ottón Solís 21.96 14 New PML Otto Guevara 9.34 6 +5 PRC Justo Orozco 3.59 1 0

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Many analysts consider this election the beginning of the end of Costa Rica's decades-long two party system.[4][5][6] For the first time in many years alternative political forces become really relevant in the Parliament and the plenary had three large party groups; PUSC (19), PLN (17) and PAC (14).[7]

While PUSC won the presidential election and the majority in Congress, PLN became the primal opposition force in Parliament. Centre-left PAC with a progressive proposal seem to had gravely affected traditional third forces at the left of the spectrum like Democratic Force that fail to win any seat on that election even when for some years was Costa Rica's main third party.[7] Right-wing Libertarian Movement also increases its representation from one to six deputies[7] while conservative[8] Costa Rican Renewal Party won one seat as usual.[7]

It was the first time in Costa Rica an evangelical Christian party, the Christian National Alliance, nominated a catholic, biologist and professor Marvin Calvo Montoya, as its presidential candidate. It was also the last presidential election of the Christian National Alliance.

Despite the close contest, voter turnout was only 69% on 3 February the lowest since the 1958 elections. For the second round of the presidential elections it fell to 60%, the lowest since 1949.[9]