MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New political scenario looming in Costa Rica

Costa Rica's new president will only be known at the end of February because the hand counting of ballots is estimated to take another three weeks, announced Wednesday the president of the country's Electoral Tribunal, TSE.

"Originally we were counting on two weeks but I'm not so sure now; we'll have to keep waiting to know who's the next president", said Oscar Fonseca TSE president who revealed that the electronic count with 327 circuits (out of 6.163) pending showed Mr. Oscar Arias leading Otton Solis with 3.868 votes.

"This is too tight a race, and therefore the hand counting which will be the only with electoral validity for the Electoral Tribunal", stressed Mr. Fonseca.

The difference between the leading candidates former President Social democrat Oscar Arias and economist Otton Solis more to the centre, was only a quarter of a percentage.

But whoever is finally proclaimed winner of last Sunday's general election, local analysts agree that Costa Rica will experience a new political scenario demanding intense negotiations to form a new government.

In the 57 legislative seats, with 84 percent of the votes counted, no single party has achieved a simple majority in Congress and forecasts are the next legislature will be divided into two large blocs.

The social-democratic National Liberation Party, or PLN, which Arias belongs to, will probably have about 25 legislators, while the centrist Citizens Action Party, or PAC, from Mr. Solis, 18, insufficient in both cases for a working majority.

The edge will belong to the opposition conservative Libertarian Movement, ML, with 6 seats, followed by the ruling Social Christian Unity Party, or PUSC, with 4. Four other small parties could end with one seat each.

Even when Mr. Arias and Mr. Solis are almost tied, their legislative support is considerably different, 25 to 18. This according to political analyst Mauricio Castro can be attributed to Mr. Solis strong stand in some very sensitive issues such as rejecting the United States sponsored free trade agreement which has become highly controversial in Costa Rica.

This new Costa Rican political scenario will, contrary to a past of winning majorities, demand extreme negotiating talent and capacity from whoever is finally elected president anticipated Mr. Castro.