1978 Costa Rican general election

1978 Costa Rican general election
5 February 1978
	Presidential election
Registered	1,058,455
Turnout	81.27% ( 1.35pp)
	Results by district; Carazo: 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70%; Monge: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70-80% 90-100%; Tie: 40-50%
President before election; Daniel Oduber; PLN	Elected President ; Rodrigo Carazo; CU
	Legislative election
	All 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly; 29 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	81.24% ( 1.35pp)
	Results by province

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 5 February 1978.^[1] Rodrigo Carazo Odio of the opposition Unity Coalition won the presidential election. His coalition also obtained the largest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly, but fell two seats short of a majority. Voter turnout was 81%.^[2]

Carazo, a former congressman and former member of the National Liberation Party, widely regarded as the country’s dominant political force at the time, left the party in 1972 and founded his own political group, Democratic Renovation. A fragmented opposition in the 1974 election had facilitated a relatively easy victory for the PLN, which secured 43.4% of the vote. In response, leading figures of the non-Marxist opposition began negotiations to present a unified candidacy in subsequent elections.^[3]^[4]

Eventually, these negotiations proved successful, and the principal opposition parties to the right of the government reached an agreement to present a unified candidacy. A primary election was held to select the coalition’s nominee, in which Rodrigo Carazo Odio narrowly defeated the industrialist Miguel Barzuna.

Although some leaders withdrew from the coalition following the primary (most notably Jorge González Martén of the National Independent Party and former president Mario Echandi Jiménez) the majority of the opposition leadership remained united.^[5]

The Unity Coalition was subsequently formed through the alliance of four parties: Carazo’s Democratic Renovation; the People’s Union led by former president José Joaquín Trejos Fernández; the Republican Party led by Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, son of former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia; and the Christian Democratic Party headed by Jorge Arturo Monge, the smallest but the most ideologically cohesive group within the coalition.^[6]

The left also made a coalition; the three main far-left parties at the left of the PLN; the People's Vanguard Party, the Costa Rican Socialist Party and Revolutionary People's Movement made the United People coalition,^[7] nominating former PLN member and doctor Rodrigo Gutierrez. Although Gutiérrez was not considered a leading contender for the presidency, the coalition contributed to an increase in left-wing electoral support and enabled the parties to secure a more substantial representation in the Legislative Assembly.

For many historians, this election is considered the beginning of Costa Rica’s two-party system, which would dominate national politics for more than two decades, lasting until the 2002 general election.^[8]

Results

President


Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Rodrigo Carazo Odio	Unity Coalition	419,824	50.51
	Luis Alberto Monge	National Liberation Party	364,285	43.83
	Rodrigo Alberto Gutiérrez Sáenz	United People	22,740	2.74
	Guillermo Villalobos Arce	National Unification Party	13,666	1.64
	Gerardo Villalobos Garita	Independent Party	3,822	0.46
	Jorge González Martén	National Independent Party	3,323	0.40
	Carlos Coronado Vargas	Workers' Socialist Organization Party	1,868	0.22
	Rodrigo Cordero Víquez	Democratic Party	1,613	0.19
Total			831,141	100.00

Valid votes			831,141	96.62
Invalid votes			23,691	2.75
Blank votes			5,374	0.62
Total votes			860,206	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			1,058,455	81.27
Source: Election Resources

By province

Province	Carazo %	Monge %	Gutiérrez %	Villalobos %	Villalobos %	González %	Coronado %	Cordero%
Province
San José	52.1	42.4	2.9	1.4	0.4	0.4	0.2	0.1
Alajuela	50.6	45.7	1.6	1.2	0.4	0.3	0.1	0.1
Cartago	47.1	47.3	2.0	1.9	0.6	0.6	0.2	0.3
Heredia	51.2	44.2	2.9	0.9	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1
Puntarenas	48.0	42.8	4.6	2.8	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.3
Limón	49.9	38.3	5.9	3.7	0.7	0.7	0.4	0.4
Guanacaste	49.3	46.2	1.4	1.7	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3
Total	50.5	43.8	2.7	1.6	0.5	0.4	0.2	0.2

Legislative Assembly



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Unity Coalition	356,215	43.41	27	New
	National Liberation Party	318,904	38.86	25	–2
	United People	62,865	7.66	3	New
	National Unification Party	25,824	3.15	0	–16
	Costa Rican Peoples' Front	12,834	1.56	1	+1
	Republican Union Party	8,215	1.00	0	New
	Cartago Agrarian Union Party	7,887	0.96	1	0
	National Independent Party	6,673	0.81	0	–6
	Independent Party	5,774	0.70	0	0
	Workers' Socialist Organization Party	4,059	0.49	0	New
	Democratic Party	3,083	0.38	0	–1
	Authentic Limonense Party	2,954	0.36	0	New
	Costa Rican Concord Party	2,542	0.31	0	New
	Authentic Puntarenense Party	1,729	0.21	0	New
	National Labour Party	1,002	0.12	0	New
Total		820,560	100.00	57	0

Valid votes		820,560	95.43
Invalid votes		25,731	2.99
Blank votes		13,597	1.58
Total votes		859,888	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,058,455	81.24
Source: Election Resources

By province

Province	CU		PLN		PU		PUN		FPCR		PUR		PNI		PI		POST		PD		Others

	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
San José	44.6	10	36.9	8	9.3	2	2.1	0	3.1	1	0.8	0	0.5	0	0.7	0	1.2	0	0.4	0	0.3	0
Alajuela	46.2	5	42.8	5	4.2	0	4.3	0	-	-	1.0	0	0.8	0	0.7	0	0.5	0	0.4	0	1.2	0
Cartago	36.7	2	39.2	3	5.6	0	3.5	0	-	-	1.9	0	1.3	0	1.1	0	-	-	0.6	0	10.1	1
Heredia	44.7	2	40.5	2	9.5	0	2.2	0	-	-	0.5	0	0.7	0	0.7	0	-	-	0.2	0	1.0	0
Puntarenas	39.7	3	38.3	3	8.9	1	4.3	0	3.0	0	1.2	0	1.0	0	0.9	0	-	-	0.4	0	2.3	0
Limón	38.7	2	30.3	2	12.0	0	4.5	0	-	-	2.1	0	3.2	0	0.9	0	-	-	0.5	0	7.8	0
Guanacaste	45.5	3	43.0	2	4.2	0	4.1	0	-	-	1.3	0	0.7	0	0.6	0	-	-	0.3	0	0.2	0
Total	43.4	27	38.9	25	7.7	3	3.1	0	1.6	1	1.0	0	0.8	0	0.7	0	0.4	0	0.4	0	2.0	0

Local governments


Party		Votes	%	Seats
Party		Votes	%	Alderpeople	+/–	Municipal syndics	+/–
	Unity Coalition	365,902	44.62	230	New	228	New
	National Liberation Party	328,009	40.00	213	–12	177	–173
	United People	52,707	6.43	23	New	0	New
	National Unification Party	29,598	3.61	4	–146	0	–37
	Costa Rican Peoples' Front	10,153	1.24	1	+1	0	0
	Republican Union Party	10,005	1.22	0	New	0	New
	National Independent Party	7,623	0.93	0	–48	0	–2
	Independent Party	3,726	0.45	1	+1	1	+1
	Democratic Party of the People	2,254	0.27	0	New	0	New
	Authentic Puntarenense Party	2,207	0.27	1	New	0	New
	Desamparadenean Alliance Party	2,062	0.25	1	New	0	New
	Authentic Limonense Party	2,008	0.24	1	New	0	New
	Costa Rican Concord Party	1,705	0.21	0	New	0	New
	Worker-Peasant Party	1,104	0.13	1	New	0	New
	Democratic Party	568	0.07	0	0	0	0
	Workers' Socialist Organization Party	461	0.06	0	New	0	New
Total		820,092	100.00	476	+9	406	+16

Valid votes		820,092	95.36
Invalid/blank votes		39,909	4.64
Total votes		860,001	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,058,445	81.25
Source: TSE^[9]

References

↑ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p 155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
↑ Nohlen, p 157
↑ Casas-Zamora, Kevin (2005). Paying for Democracy: Political Finance and State Funding for Parties. ECPR Press. ISBN 978-0-9547966-3-1.
↑ "Elections and Events 1948-1986 1948". The Library. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
↑ Lentz, Harris M. (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781134264902. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
↑ Lehoucq, Fabrice (27 August 2012). The Politics of Modern Central America. ISBN 9780521515061. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
↑ Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s. ISBN 9780313274183. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
↑ White, Stephen; Webb, Paul (20 September 2007). Party Politics in New Democracies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199289653. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
↑ "Elecciones Regidurías 1978". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.

[DN-1] Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p 155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6

[2] Nohlen, p 157

[3] Casas-Zamora, Kevin (2005). Paying for Democracy: Political Finance and State Funding for Parties. ECPR Press. ISBN 978-0-9547966-3-1.

[4] "Elections and Events 1948-1986 1948". The Library. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[5] Lentz, Harris M. (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781134264902. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[6] Lehoucq, Fabrice (27 August 2012). The Politics of Modern Central America. ISBN 9780521515061. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[7] Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s. ISBN 9780313274183. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[8] White, Stephen; Webb, Paul (20 September 2007). Party Politics in New Democracies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199289653. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[9] "Elecciones Regidurías 1978". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.

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Elections and referendums in Costa Rica
Presidential elections	1825 1829 1833 1835 1837 1844 1847 1849 1853 1859 1860 1863 1866 1869 1872 1876 1882 1886 1889 1894 1897 1902 1906 1910 1913 1917 1919 1923 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1953 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
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Local elections	2002 2006 2010 2016 2020 2024
Referendums	1870 2007
See also: Elections in the Federal Republic of Central America