Chinchilla Leads In The
Polls For The
Presidential Chair
Current vice-president
Laura Chinchilla holds
the lead in the early
stages of Costa Rica’s
2010 presidential race,
according to a poll by
CID-Gallup. 35% of
respondents would vote
for Chinchilla in the
2010 election.
Former economy minister
Ottón Solís of the
Partido Acción Cuidadana
(PAC) is second with
30%, followed by former
president Rafael Ángel
Calderón of the Partido
Unidad Socialcristiana (PUSC)
with 13%.
A second scenario shows
San José mayor Johnny
Araya Monge of the PLN
in first place with 33%,
followed by Solís with
31%, and Calderón with
15%.
Calderón still faces
criminal charges in the
Fischel-Caja corruption
scandal.
The PLN’s Óscar Arias
won the February 2006
presidential election
with 40.92% of all cast
ballots. Solís finished
in second place with
39.80%. Arias headed the
government from 1986 to
1990, and was able to
run again after the
Costa Rican Legislative
Assembly opted to bring
back presidential
re-election in 2003. He
was sworn in for the
second time in May 2006.
In 1987, Arias was
awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize for his mediation
in a peace deal that
ended years of bloodshed
in Central America. In
2007, Costa Rican voters
ratified the Central
American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) - the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) as it is
known locally - in a
nationwide referendum.
On Apr. 15, Arias
referred to Chinchilla
as a great presidential
hopeful, saying,
"Chinchilla is a woman
with a great calling to
public service, and she
has shown leadership,
responsibility, and hard
work in all of her
positions."
Polling Data
Which of these
candidates would you
vote for in the 2010
presidential election?
Option 1
|
Laura Chinchilla
(PLN) |
35% |
|
Ottón Solís
(PAC) |
30% |
|
Rafael Ángel
Calderón (PUSC) |
13% |
|
Other / None /
Not sure |
22% |
Option 2
|
Johnny Araya
Monge (PLN) |
33% |
|
Ottón Solís
(PAC) |
31% |
|
Rafael Ángel
Calderón (PUSC) |
15% |
|
Other / None /
Not sure |
21% |
Source: CID-Gallup
Methodology: Interviews
with 1,200 Costa Rican
adults, conducted from
Apr. 17 to Apr. 27,
2008. Margin of error is
2.8 per cent.
|
