National Liberation Party

The results of Costa Rica’s Feb. 2 elections demonstrate the ability of the country’s political system to evolve with changing times.

After a disappointing finish in the first round of the Costa Rican national elections by the National Liberation Party, and the surprise victory of Luis Guillermo Solís, there is much to keep PLN presidential candidate Johnny Araya tossing and turning in his bed.

Less than a week after his presidential campaign concluded, José María Villalta gave a wide-ranging postmortem interview with La Nación on the election, the upcoming runoff and his future.

With 9 percent of votes counted by the Supreme Elections Tribunal at 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the ruling PLN candidate Johnny Araya had what seemed a commanding lead – 36.24 percent, followed by Citizen Action Party candidate Luis Guillermo Solís, with 22.8 percent. It was all downhill from there.

Centrist presidential candidate Luis Guillermo Solís will battle ruling party candidate Johnny Araya in an April runoff after Solís shocked many in this small Central American country by taking first place in preliminary results released late Sunday night.

Costa Rica's Supreme Elections Tribunal began releasing preliminary results in the country's presidential and legislative elections soon after 8 p.m. By 9 p.m. supporters of Citizen Action Party (PAC) candidate Luis Guillermo Solís had reason to celebrate, as the candidate who placed third or fourth in most of the country's polls showed a strong showing in the actual vote, moving into first place.

"Faced with (those who want) communist experiments, we represent the safest path for this democracy," said Costa Rican presidential candidate Johnny Araya, of the ruling National Liberation Party, after casting his vote at a San José school Sunday morning.

While a few political flags waved in the streets Saturday night, Costa Ricans quietly readied themselves for the end of a hard-fought electoral campaign and a Sunday vote to decide the country’s next president and Legislative Assembly.

The Social Christian Unity Party and the Workers’ Party don’t have a lot in common, besides owing more back taxes than any other political party.

The Tico Times released Wednesday night -- right before election campaigns closed -- the most scientific poll of the 2014 campaign season. Our model concludes that National Liberation Party candidate Johnny Araya and Broad Front Party candidate José María Villalta will head to a runoff after this Sunday's election.