General elections were held in Costa Rica on 2 February 1958.Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 Mario Echandi Jiménez of the National Union Party won the presidential election, whilst the National Liberation Party won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 64.7%.Nohlen, p156

Echandi was the only deputy for the National Union Party fraction for the 1953-1958 period, and he was in open opposition to the National Liberation Party (PLN) legislative fraction and the executive power presidency of Figueres Ferrer, also of PLN. During the tense invasion of 1955 when former president Rafael Angel Calderon's supporters and their international allies tried to invade Costa Rica's territory and were successfully repelled by Figueres Ferrer' government, Echandi was accused of being Calderonista and been offered an office as minister from Calderón. Echandi denied it but was put under investigation by the Legislative Assembly. The opposition, encompassed by both Echandi's party National Union and Calderón's Independent Republican left the Assembly in protest. Still Echandi was acquitted and the old loyalties before the war were starting to switch. Echandi as candidate from National Union promised to allow Calderón and family (then exiled in Mexico) to return to Costa Rica and give a general amnesty for all of Calderón's supporters. This gained him the support of the Calderonism, still a powerful political base.

But, whilst PLN's opposition was closing lines, PLN was splitting. After a primary election that was won by Francisco José Orlich (one of PLN's founders and one of the leaders of the 1948 Revolution) his opponent Jorge Rossi left the party and founded a new one called Independent Party. As expected, Rossi's departure and his new party caused a spoiler effect dividing the Social Democratic vote and Echandi won the election with the support of Calderonists.

Echandi did fulfill his promise and allowed Calderón and family to return and passed a general amnesty for all factions.

Results President

By province Province Echandi % Orlich % Rossi % 49.0 39.6 11.5 43.0 50.7 6.3 37.1 40.5 22.4 45.6 44.9 9.5 54.2 39.2 6.6 54.1 38.9 7.0 44.8 46.7 8.5 Total 46.4 42.8 10.8

By canton Canton Echandi Orlich Rossi % % % San José 57.37 32.29 10.35 Escazú 38.04 47.62 14.35 Desamparados 38.06 49.34 12.59 Puriscal 33.57 57.46 8.97 Tarrazú 34.92 50.68 14.40 Aserrí 43.09 46.96 9.95 Mora 40.72 54.81 4.47 Goicoechea 53.78 35.65 10.57 Santa Ana 41.76 50.39 7.85 Alajuelita 51.82 38.67 9.62 Vázquez de Coronado 39.62 50.06 10.32 Acosta 34.40 57.74 7.87 Tibás 53.93 34.55 11.52 Moravia 46.71 37.13 16.16 Montes de Oca 55.74 34.30 9.96 Turrubares 48.13 46.26 5.60 Dota 32.67 50.31 17.02 Curridabat 37.83 44.93 17.24 Pérez Zeledón 20.89 54.35 24.75 Total 48.99 39.55 11.46

Canton Orlich Echandi Rossi % % % Alajuela 43.04 49.88 7.08 San Ramón 62.13 32.81 5.06 Grecia 50.46 45.82 3.72 San Mateo 54.37 35.35 10.28 Atenas 41.91 48.20 9.88 Naranjo 57.71 36.35 5.94 Palmares 48.31 46.24 5.45 Poás 56.89 37.63 5.48 Orotina 41.78 54.22 4.00 San Carlos 55.65 35.95 8.40 Alfaro Ruiz 58.19 34.24 7.57 Valverde Vega 60.90 34.49 4.61 Total 50.75 42.96 6.29

Canton Orlich Echandi Rossi % % % Cartago 42.15 35.07 22.77 Paraíso 42.05 40.88 17.06 La Unión 47.25 40.97 11.78 Jiménez 43.93 39.92 16.15 Turrialba 28.12 41.82 30.06 Alvarado 44.93 26.22 28.85 Oreamuno 49.12 25.64 25.24 El Guarco 58.08 30.58 11.35 Total 40.51 37.11 22.37

Canton Echandi Orlich Rossi % % % Heredia 48.64 40.91 10.45 Barva 48.72 38.38 12.90 Santo Domingo 47.27 42.58 10.15 Santa Bárbara 39.48 53.79 6.73 San Rafael 39.84 52.00 8.15 San Isidro 32.74 62.14 5.12 Belén 43.91 50.19 5.90 Flores 47.11 41.93 10.96 Total 45.58 44.90 9.52

Canton Orlich Echandi Rossi % % % Liberia 44.19 45.40 10.41 Nicoya 49.68 39.13 11.20 Santa Cruz 37.02 54.78 8.20 Bagaces 56.80 37.53 5.67 Carrillo 46.19 44.30 9.50 Cañas 44.49 45.68 9.84 Abangares 50.11 46.84 3.04 Tilarán 56.59 40.40 2.91 Total 46.70 44.82 8.48

Canton Echandi Orlich Rossi % % % Puntarenas 50.97 40.46 8.58 Esparza 50.66 45.16 4.19 Buenos Aires 27.31 54.21 18.48 Montes de Oro 38.45 56.53 5.02 Osa 67.60 29.48 2.92 Aguirre 55.33 37.82 6.85 Golfito 64.44 31.59 3.97 Total 54.20 39.22 6.58

Canton Echandi Orlich Rossi % % % Limón 49.57 44.13 6.30 Pococí 65.23 28.62 6.14 Siquirres 55.52 33.21 11.27 Total 54.07 38.90 7.02

Legislative Assembly

By province Province PLN PR PUN PI UCR MDO PD PRN % S % S % S % S % S % S % S % S 37.26 26.74 19.63 10.12 5.21 0.80 0.40 -- 50.34 17.12 24.22 6.00 1.60 0.40 0.40 -- 40.23 13.91 17.31 20.11 4.80 0.70 0.50 2.50 44.01 24.71 19.11 9.50 1.50 0.90 0.40 -- 39.22 26.92 24.91 6.50 1.20 0.70 0.70 -- 40.71 25.50 26.31 5.40 1.10 0.70 0.40 -- 46.43 17.81 25.01 8.80 0.90 0.50 0.60 -- Total 41.720 22.411 21.410 9.83 3.31 0.70 0.50 0.30

By canton Canton PLN PR PUN PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % San José 29.27 33.91 20.54 9.20 5.90 0.86 0.31 Escazú 48.11 18.60 16.81 13.49 1.91 0.79 0.29 Desamparados 43.35 18.01 17.63 10.34 9.27 0.80 0.59 Puriscal 57.62 10.80 20.92 8.85 0.57 0.46 0.77 Tarrazú 45.26 10.72 22.87 12.56 7.76 0.53 0.30 Aserrí 44.74 15.78 26.20 7.92 3.91 0.80 0.65 Mora 53.76 19.50 19.84 3.88 2.11 0.63 0.29 Goicoechea 33.76 31.43 18.62 9.11 5.46 1.30 0.33 Santa Ana 52.29 21.29 17.11 6.89 1.24 0.56 0.62 Alajuelita 37.17 26.54 23.68 7.89 3.29 0.88 0.55 Vázquez de Coronado 47.66 14.62 23.73 8.61 4.11 0.89 0.38 Acosta 56.62 15.88 17.60 7.26 1.32 0.68 0.64 Tibás 32.33 35.03 16.42 9.60 5.44 0.75 0.44 Moravia 35.50 29.48 14.95 12.81 5.54 0.95 0.77 Montes de Oca 33.77 27.14 24.50 8.33 5.03 0.85 0.39 Turrubares 47.77 12.76 33.09 4.75 0.89 0.59 0.15 Dota 46.68 12.86 20.16 14.06 5.44 0.80 0.00 Curridabat 41.65 21.65 14.43 14.87 5.48 1.48 0.43 Pérez Zeledón 53.55 5.77 12.08 22.79 4.79 0.42 0.60 Total 37.19 26.68 19.64 10.08 5.18 0.82 0.41

Canton PLN PUN PR PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % Alajuela 41.72 23.87 25.10 6.56 1.85 0.50 0.40 San Ramón 63.57 21.06 8.92 5.33 0.48 0.28 0.35 Grecia 51.09 27.24 17.00 3.34 0.50 0.50 0.32 San Mateo 55.31 26.48 6.62 10.76 0.55 0.14 0.14 Atenas 41.91 37.06 10.35 8.71 1.17 0.15 0.66 Naranjo 59.21 19.88 13.76 5.32 0.95 0.45 0.45 Palmares 48.97 25.57 18.46 5.05 0.86 0.62 0.47 Poás 56.55 25.77 10.58 4.94 1.39 0.49 0.28 Orotina 42.25 35.12 16.97 3.94 0.86 0.43 0.43 San Carlos 50.84 18.38 16.28 7.99 5.64 0.54 0.34 Alfaro Ruiz 57.56 14.27 18.81 7.84 0.85 0.47 0.19 Valverde Vega 54.96 13.04 19.40 6.58 4.35 0.56 1.11 Total 50.33 24.22 17.05 5.97 1.58 0.44 0.41

Canton PLN PI PUN PR UCR PRN MDO PD % % % % % % % % Cartago 40.42 19.36 15.23 12.54 8.69 3.09 0.44 0.24 Paraíso 41.54 16.04 21.77 14.97 1.95 2.28 0.62 0.83 La Unión 45.61 11.27 15.30 19.84 2.59 3.59 0.85 0.95 Jiménez 48.25 13.38 24.34 10.31 1.10 1.21 0.82 0.60 Turrialba 29.16 28.14 18.14 17.99 2.60 2.59 0.94 0.44 Alvarado 46.33 27.65 9.90 11.53 1.53 2.04 0.61 0.41 Oreamuno 45.48 20.59 15.91 5.12 9.42 1.68 0.81 1.00 El Guarco 56.27 11.24 18.16 9.25 3.29 1.23 0.41 0.14 Total 40.22 20.06 17.32 13.87 4.83 2.53 0.68 0.49

Canton PLN PR PUN PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % Heredia 39.68 25.90 19.55 11.66 1.66 1.15 0.39 Barva 35.99 24.79 22.39 13.12 1.65 1.5 0.55 Santo Domingo 44.68 24.49 20.37 8.82 0.87 0.55 0.23 Santa Bárbara 53.13 22.29 16.56 5.34 1.83 0.46 0.38 San Rafael 51.44 22.95 15.53 8.20 1.01 0.47 0.39 San Isidro 61.94 9.42 21.29 4.26 2.32 0.65 0.13 Belén 47.71 36.01 9.00 4.83 1.55 0.57 0.33 Flores 39.85 21.33 26.66 9.73 1.31 0.56 0.56 Total 44.01 24.68 19.08 9.48 1.51 0.87 0.38

Canton PLN PUN PR PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % Liberia 44.60 27.30 15.84 10.91 0.60 0.30 0.45 Nicoya 49.83 23.02 14.58 10.72 0.66 0.50 0.70 Santa Cruz 37.61 23.25 26.10 9.40 2.47 0.43 0.74 Bagaces 55.23 19.90 16.84 6.63 0.51 0.13 0.77 Carrillo 44.74 31.84 9.95 11.68 0.81 0.56 0.41 Cañas 40.91 9.13 40.83 7.15 0.34 0.86 0.78 Abangares 50.27 33.73 11.50 3.18 0.36 0.42 0.54 Tilarán 55.03 29.27 11.42 3.19 0.05 0.54 0.49 Total 46.41 25.02 17.77 8.76 0.94 0.47 0.62

Canton PLN PR PUN PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % Puntarenas 40.40 22.73 25.88 8.19 1.62 0.63 0.54 Esparza 44.13 33.55 16.19 4.06 0.58 0.39 1.10 Buenos Aires 50.94 4.61 21.80 19.71 2.31 0.21 0.42 Montes de Oro 55.21 9.75 28.47 5.69 0.29 0.19 0.39 Osa 29.24 31.64 34.13 2.16 1.15 0.86 0.82 Aguirre 39.02 35.06 16.12 7.02 0.74 0.99 1.04 Golfito 32.10 35.42 26.13 4.13 0.85 0.94 0.43 Total 39.21 26.90 24.89 6.48 1.18 0.69 0.66

Canton PLN PUN PR PI UCR MDO PD % % % % % % % Limón 46.69 19.75 27.06 4.70 0.92 0.72 0.16 Pococí 28.75 42.28 22.83 4.18 0.92 0.16 0.87 Siquirres 33.50 29.65 23.03 10.05 1.84 1.26 0.67 Total 40.72 26.28 25.52 5.37 1.05 0.67 0.39

Local governments

References