1994 Costa Rican general election

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 6 February 1994.[1] José María Figueres of the National Liberation Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 81.1%.[2]

1994 Costa Rican general election
6 February 1994 (1994-02-06)
Turnout81.1%
Presidential election
 
Candidate José María Figueres Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Party PLN PUSC
Popular vote 739,339 711,328
Percentage 49.6% 47.7%
Provinces won by Figueres in Green, Rodríguez in blue
President before election

Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier
PUSC

 Elected President

José María Figueres
PLN

Party Leader % Seats ±
PLN José María Figueres 44.6% 28 +3
PUSC Miguel Ángel Rodríguez 40.4% 25 -4
FD Vladimir de la Cruz 5.3% 2 0
PUAC Juan Guillermo Brenes Castillo 1.1% 1 0
PAN Víctor Hugo Núñez Torres 0.9% 1 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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Campaign

The primary election were the main focus of controversy during this campaign, as they were particularly negative. In the case of PUSC Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría made a second attempt to earn the nomination running against José Joaquín Trejos Fonseca, son of former president José Joaquín Trejos Fernández. The campaign was very ideological with Trejos accusing Rodríguez of not really being Christian Democrat nor following the ideals of Christian socialism and instead being neoliberal. Rodríguez indeed acknowledged to follow classical liberalism and advocated for small government, but without completely abandon Christian Democracy's ideas.[3]

PLN's primary was more focus on personal attacks. In it José María Figueres Olsen, son of PLN's caudillo and former president José Figueres Ferrer, faced popular anti-corruption and anti-narcotraffic deputy José Miguel Corrales, alongside other candidates like former First Lady Margarita Penón (wife of Óscar Arias) and San José Mayor Rolando Araya (nephew of former president Luis Alberto Monge). Thus, most candidates except Corrales came from important political families. Figueres' image was affected by the "Chemise Case", the allegations that he was involved in the murder of a young drug dealer while in custody during one of his father's governments.[3] Figueres sued the authors of the book accusing him, and won, but the controversy was still used by Corrales in campaign, to no avail as Figueres won the primary election. Corrales did not support him afterward.[3]

The negative campaign continue after the primaries. Rodríguez used the "Chemise Case" too and also accused Figueres of not being Catholic and belonging to the Christian Science cult, of having a military upraising due to his father's past as revolutionary caudillo and the fact that he's a West Point graduate, etc., in order to caused fear of an authoritarian government.[3] Figueres campaign on the other hand tried to show Rodríguez as a cold, heartless entrepreneur with neoliberal ideas as a counterpart to Figueres socialdemocratic ideology.[3]

Results

President
Candidate Party Votes %
José María FigueresNational Liberation Party739,33949.6
Miguel Ángel RodríguezSocial Christian Unity Party711,32847.7
Miguel "Salguero" Zúñiga DíazDemocratic Force28,2741.9
Rafael Ángel Matamoros MesénChristian National Alliance4,9800.3
Jorge González MesénNational Independent Party2,4260.2
Norma Vargas DuarteGeneraleña Union2,1590.1
Holman Esquivel GarroteIndependent Party1,6000.1
Invalid/blank votes35,882-
Total1,525,979100
Source: Nohlen

Legislative Assembly
Party Votes % Seats +/-
National Liberation Party658,25844.628+3
Social Christian Unity Party595,80240.425-4
Democratic Force78,4545.32New
Generaleña Union25,4201.70-1
Christian National Alliance21,0641.400
People's Vanguard Party20,0261.40New
Cartago Agrarian Union Party16,3361.110
National Agrarian Party13,5890.91New
National Independent Party1,7670.900
Alajuelense Democratic Action11,6300.80New
Independent Party9,2130.600
Limonese Authentic Party5,4680.400
Agrarian Labour Action Party3,8590.300
Independent Guanacaste Party2,8430.20New
Convergencia Nacional8640.10New
Invalid/blank votes50,031---
Total1,525,624100570
Source: Nohlen

Ballot
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References
  1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p157
  3. Picado León, Hugo. "Proceso de selección de candid atos a presidente y diputados en el PLN y el PUSC (1990-2006)" (PDF). Proyecto OIR/OPAL.
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