LatinNews Daily Report - 22 July 2013

POLITICS | PAC holds primaries. On 21 July Costa Rica’s main opposition party, Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), held internal primaries to determine its candidate for the 2 February 2014 presidential election. With roughly 81% of the count in, National Deputy Juan Carlos Mendoza was in first place, with 37% of the vote, followed in second place by former diplomat Luis Guillermo Solís with 34%. Two former national deputies, Epsy Campbell and Ronald Solís, were on 24% and 5% respectively. Mendoza stressed that he would not claim victory until the results were officially ratified, adding that he was “positive but cautious”. The primaries – in which all party members were eligible to vote – were the first held by the PAC since its establishment in 2000. The most recent poll on the presidential contest, by Unimer and published by the daily La Nación on 4 July, put the former San José mayor, Johnny Araya, who is running for the ruling Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) well ahead with 26% of voting intentions, to 12% for a doctor and political novice Rodolfo Hernández, the candidate for the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC).

End of preview - This article contains approximately 294 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial