A new CID-Gallup poll has ruling party candidate Johnny Araya holding on to his lead less than a week before Sunday's presidential elections. But Araya remains 5 percentage points short of avoiding a run-off, with three candidates battling for second place.
In the last debate before Costa Rica decides its next president (or at least whoever will make it to the second round), several leading candidates faced down old accusations and questions.
Two of the top four presidential candidates have open criminal investigations against them, including allegations of misuse of campaign funds and abuse of authority.
Johnny Araya, the ruling National Liberation Party's candidate for president and a poll leader heading into the Feb. 2 vote, promised Sunday to lead an administration with a "social face" if elected. Araya made the statement during a San José rally to wrap up his campaign.
“These results confirm that with the organization and the size of PLN, we are guaranteed a triumph in the first round,” Johnny Araya's campaign manager said. But is that what the poll showed?
Three of the candidates leading the polls in Costa Rica's presidential race will participate Friday in a forum organized by the National Association of Public and Private Employees, once of the country's biggest unions.
The four highest polling candidates have all stated they would expand benefits to gay couples such as property rights, though none have advocated true legalization. Johnny Araya, José María Villalta, Otto Guevara and Luis Guillermo Solís have said they support inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, and access to social security and medical benefits. The candidates varied on the emphasis and extent of their proposals.
After Johnny Araya’s Facebook page posted a seemingly doctored photo of a huge rally for the presidential candidate, opponents didn't waste any time before retaliating. Using much better Photoshop skills then they accuse Araya's campaign team of using, quick-witted Costa Ricans created their own versions of what happened at the rally. Mickey Mouse, Justin Bieber and Pope Francis all were there.
Johnny Araya of the ruling National Liberation Party is the leading presidential hopeful among registered voters who have made up their minds, according to the latest poll from the University of Costa Rica’s Center for Research and Policy Studies (CIEP). But he's a long way from avoiding a runoff.
However, the "Undecided" option remains the top choice in the poll.
