Municipal and local elections were held for the first time in Costa Rica on 1 December 2002. This was the first time citizens of the 81 cantons were able to directly choose their mayors as previously the municipal executive was appointed by the city council. A syndic and 4 District Councilors were also elected for each canton's district as 8 intendants for especial districts with administrative autonomy.
Then ruling Social Christian Unity Party had its best results in history on a local election gaining most of the mayors and councilors; 48 mayors and 785 syndics and councilors. National Liberation Party, then main opposition force, earn the second largest number of both with 27 mayors and 676. Costa Rica was still pretty much under a two-party system at the time even when in the recent general election the new force Citizens Action Party surprised with high voting for president and parliament, in this first municipal running achieve only one mayor in Montes de Oca (the party's hometown).
Results Mayors List of elected mayors by canton Cantons Population Elected mayorParty San José Johnny Araya PLN Escazú Marco Antonio Segura PLN Desamparados Carlos Alberto Padilla PLN Puriscal Carlos Araya PUSC Tarrazú José Rodolfo Naranjo PUSC Aserrí Mario Morales PLN Mora Alcides Ovidio Araya PLN Goicoechea Carlos Luis Murillo PUSC Santa Ana Ronald Octavio Traña PUSC Alajuelita Víctor Hugo Echavarría PUSC Vázquez de Coronado Rolando Méndez PUSC Acosta Ronald Ricardo Durán PLN Tibás Percy Kenneth Rodríguez PUSC Moravia Alejandro Hidalgo PLN Montes de Oca Sonia María Montero PAC Turrubares Roberto González PUSC Dota Mario Enrique Umaña PLN Curridabat Luz de los Ángeles Retana CSXXI Pérez Zeledón Rosibel Ramos PUSC León Cortés Sergio Picado PUSC Alajuela Fabio Molina PLN San Ramón Osvaldo Vargas PUSC Grecia Freddy Barrantes PUSC San Mateo Erwen Yanan Masís PUSC Atenas Wilberth Martín Aguilar PUSC Naranjo Mario Bolívar Solís PLN Palmares Mario Alberto Rojas PUSC Poás Carlos Eduardo Soto PLN Orotina José Joaquín Peraza PUSC San Carlos Alfredo Córdoba PLN Alfaro Ruiz Manuel Enrique Durán PUSC Valverde Vega Víctor Manuel Rojas PUSC Upala Juan Bosco Acevedo PLN Los Chiles Santiago Millón PLN Guatuso Carlos Luis Corrales PUSC Cartago Harold Humberto Góngora PUSC Paraíso Marvin Solano PAPAR La Unión Guillermo Arturo Zúñiga PIO Jiménez Jorge Humberto Solano PLN Turrialba Marvin Gerardo Orocú PUSC Alvarado Ángel Raquel López PLN Oreamuno Gerardo Walter Granados PUSC El Guarco Luis Rafael Flores PUSC Heredia Javier Carvajal PUSC Barva Omar Enrique Trigueros PUSC Santo Domingo Erika Lizette Linares PLN Santa Bárbara Luis Paulino Rodríguez PUSC San Rafael Jorge Isaac Herrera PLN San Isidro Elvia Dicciana Villalobos PLN Belén Víctor Manuel Víquez PLN Flores Marvin Murillo PUSC San Pablo Aracelly Salas PUSC Sarapiquí Pedro Rojas PLN Liberia Ricardo Adolfo Samper PLN Nicoya Bernardo Vargas PLN Santa Cruz Pastor Gómez PUSC Bagaces Guillermo Aragón PUSC Carrillo José María Guevara PUSC Cañas Gilberto Jerez PLN Abangares Víctor Julio Cabezas PUSC Tilarán Jovel Arias PUSC Nandayure Luis Gerardo Rodríguez PGI La Cruz Junnier Alberto Salazar PUSC Hojancha Juan Rafael Marín PLN Puntarenas Omar Obando PUSC Esparza Dagoberto Venegas PUSC Buenos Aires Giovanni Fallas PUSC Montes de Oro Álvaro Jiménez PLN Osa José Gabriel Villachica PUSC Aguirre Alex Max Contreras PUSC Golfito Mauricio Alvarado PUSC Coto Brus Gerardo Wilson Chaves PUSC Parrita Ramón Fernando Godínez PUSC Corredores Augusto César Moya PUSC Garabito Luis Fernando Villalobos PUSC Limón Róger Mainor Rivera PUSC Pococí Manuel Hernández PUSC Siquirres Miguel Gerardo Quirós PUSC Talamanca Rugeli Morales PUSC Matina Rodrigo Gómez PRC Guácimo Gerardo Fuentes PLN
Party Mayors Popular vote Number Votes % Social Christian Unity Party 47 188,612 36,72 National Liberation Party 28 168,410 32,78 Citizens' Action Party 1 65,968 12.84 Total cantonal parties 2 30,273 5.77 Libertarian Movement020,655 4.02 Costa Rican Renewal Party 1 15,497 3.02 Democratic Force 06,606 1.29 Independent Workers' Party 1 4,904 0.95 Coalition Change 20000 4,272 0.83 National Rescue Party 0 3,488 0.68 National Integration Party0 3,119 0.61 Independent Guanacaste Party1 1,259 0.25 Agrarian Labour Action Party0 569 0.11 Cartago Agrarian Union Party0 532 0.10 General Union Party096 0.02 Total81514,260100% Source
By province Province PUSC % PLN % PAC % Reg. % ML % PRC % FD % PIO % C2000 % PRESNA % PIN % 29.90 35.12 13.57 12.50 3.66 1.05 1.36 1.46 0.82 0.25 0.31 39.04 38.79 11.46 1.26 2.77 1.30 - - 1.03 2.74 1.61 37.35 31.03 14.43 7.75 1.52 - 3.06 4.58 - - 0.28 34.33 34.07 17.65 3.69 3.74 4.08 - 0.35 0.36 - 1.73 42.84 29.13 11.97 3.41 3.00 7.06 2.07 - 0.36 0.16 - 46.07 24.96 11.94 3.43 8.63 2.75 1.44 - 0.78 - - 36.11 24.68 9.19 4.72 7.40 13.06 2.12 - 2.72 - - Total 36.72 32.78 12.84 6.26 4.02 3.02 1.29 0.95 0.83 0.68 0.61Source: TSE
Alderpeople The elections of municipal councilors of Costa Rica in 2002 were an electoral process held in parallel with the presidential and legislative elections. In them the 495 tenure aldermen and the 495 alternates that conform the 81 Municipal Councils were chosen.
The Central Canton of San José, the most populous, named 13 aldermen. Desamparados and Alajuela named 11. Others less populated (Puntarenas, Limón, Pococí, Heredia, Cartago, La Unión, San Carlos, Goicoechea, Pérez Zeledón, etc.) named 9. Others even smaller (Tibás, Grecia, Vázquez de Coronado, Montes de Oca, Siquirres, Escazú, Turrialba, etc.) appointed 7 council members. Finally, the smallest (Turrubares, San Mateo, Santa Ana, Mora, Montes de Oro, Talamanca, etc.) named 5.
Parties Popular vote Alderpeople Votes % ±pp Total +/- Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) 469,305 30.92 -9.94 180 -91 National Liberation Party (PLN) 443,320 29.21 -6.17 178 -48 Citizens' Action Party (PAC) 310,201 20.44 New 101 New Libertarian Movement (ML) 84,167 5.55 +3.12 13 +9 Costa Rican Renewal Party (PRC) 54,547 3.59 +1.73 7 +7 Democratic Force (FD) 40,114 2.64 -3.53 4 -20 National Integration Party (PIN) 25,038 1.65 -0.08 1 -2 Coalition Change 2000 (C2000) 17,612 1.16 New 1 New Agrarian Labour Action Party (PALA) 9,225 0.61 -0.49 2 -5 Escazu's Progressive Yoke (YPE) 7,765 0.51 -0.19 3 -1 National Rescue Party (PRESNA) 7,510 0.49 -0.33 1 New Independent Workers' Party (PIO) 7,460 0.49 New 1 New National Agrarian Party (PAN) 5,032 0.33 -0.24 1 -4 Party of the Sun (PdS) 4,880 0.32 +0.06 2 0 Cartago Agrarian Force (FAC) 4,024 0.27 +0.09 0 New 21st Century Curridabat (CSXXI) 3,726 0.25 -0.12 1 -1 Authentic Paraisian Party (PAPAR) 3,264 0.22 New 1 New National Convergence Party (PCN) 2,927 0.19 -0.10 0 -1 General Union Party (PUG) 2,495 0.16 -0.83 0 -3 Quepeña Action Party (PAQ) 1,956 0.13 New 2 New Authentic Sarapiquenean Party (PASAR) 1,779 0.12 New 1 New New Alajuelita Party (PALNU) 1,773 0.12 +0.02 1 0 Humanist Party of Montes de Oca (PH-MdO) 1,212 0.08 -0.06 0 -1 Alliance for San José Party (PASJ) 1,127 0.07 New 0 New Cantonal Action Independent Siquirres Party (PACSI) 1,079 0.07 New 0 New Ecological Garabito Party (PEG) 983 0.06 New 2 New Humanist Party of San José (PH-SJO) 919 0.06 New 0 New Golfitenean Action Party (PAGOL) 772 0.05 -0.00 0 0 Independent Guanacaste Party (PGI) 759 0.05 -0.14 0 -2 Independent Belemite Party (PIB) 618 0.04 -0.06 0 -1 Limonense Conscience Party (PCL) 617 0.04 New 0 New Humanist Party of Heredia (PH-Her) 517 0.03 -0.05 0 0 National Patriotic Party (PPN) 485 0.03 New 0 New New Corredores Party (PUG) 457 0.03 New 0 New Humanist Party of Barva (PH-Barva) 183 0.01 New 0 New Total 1,517,848 100.00 - 503 -75 Invalid votes 51,628 3.29 Votes cast / turnout 1,569,476 68.84 Abstentions 710,375 31.16 Registered voters 2,279,851 100% Sources
Syndics and district councils
Parties and coalitions Popular vote Syndics District Councillors Votes % Total +/- Total Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) 184,902 36.85 228 -67 799 National Liberation Party (PLN) 169,660 33.81 192 +47 684 Citizens' Action Party (PAC) 63,270 12.61 14 New 182 Libertarian Movement (ML) 16,367 3.26 4 +4 26 Costa Rican Renewal Party (PRC) 15,665 3.21 4 +4 48 Democratic Force (FD) 6,539 1.30 0 0 8 Coalition Change 2000 (C2000) 4,797 0.96 1 New 7 Independent Workers' Party (PIO) 4,444 0.89 4 New 15 Alliance to Advance Party (PAPA) 4,421 0.88 0 New 5 Alliance for San José Party (PASJ) 4,037 0.80 0 New 3 Authentic Paraisian Party (PAPAR) 3,586 0.71 2 New 6 National Integration Party (PIN) 3,189 0.64 1 +1 6 Escazu's Progressive Yoke (YPE) 2,670 0.53 1 -2 4 National Rescue Party (PRESNA) 2,354 0.47 1 +1 11 Party of the Sun (PdS) 1,844 0.37 2 0 8 Cantonal Action Independent Siquirres Party (PACSI) 1,652 0.33 2 New 7 We Are All San José Party (SJST) 1,651 0.33 0 New 1 21st Century Curridabat (CSXXI) 1,412 0.28 2 +1 4 Independent Guanacaste Party (PGI) 1,181 0.24 2 +2 9 Authentic Sarapiquenean Party (PASAR) 978 0.19 2 New 9 Quepeña Action Party (PAQ) 941 0.19 0 New 3 Change Now (CYA) 833 0.17 0 New 0 Ecological Garabito Party (PEG) 819 0.16 1 New 3 Authentic Cantonal Option Movement (MOCA) 692 0.14 0 New 0 Curridabat Movement (MCur) 642 0.13 0 New 1 Agrarian Labour Action Party (PALA) 544 0.11 0 -2 3 Independent Belemite Party (PIB) 532 0.11 0 0 1 Cartago Agrarian Union Party (PUAC) 503 0.10 0 0 0 Santacrucean Rebirth Party (PRS) 490 0.10 0 New 0 Humanist Party of Montes de Oca (PH-MdO) 394 0.08 0 0 1 New Corredores Party (PUG) 288 0.06 0 New 1 Limonense Conscience Party (PCL) 256 0.05 0 New 0 Humanist Party of Heredia (PH-Her) 125 0.02 0 0 0 General Union Party (PUGEN) 62 0.01 0 0 0 Total 500,080 100.00 463 +16 1854 Invalid votes 20,803 3.98 Votes cast / turnout 520,883 22.64 Abstentions 1,785,510 77.36 Registered voters 2,306,393 Sources
See also Local government in Costa Rica List of mayors in Costa Rica
References