More Than 35.000 Foreigners to Vote in the 2006 Presidential Elections
More than 35.168 who obtained their Costa Rican citizenship will be able
to cast their vote in the 2006 presidential elections, according to the
Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE).
The number is a preliminary estimate by the Statistics department of the
TSE and the actual number of "naturalized" voters wouldn't be available
until August or September.
In the 2003 elections, 30.266 naturalized Costa Ricans were elegibel to
vote, though only 17.977 voted in the presidential elections that saw,
for the first time in Costa Rican history, a run off vote when neither
the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) and the Partido Unidad Social
Cristiana could generate the required 50% of the vote.
The Partido Accion Cuidana (PAC) made a strong show and forced a run off
election that saw Abel Pacheco take the presidential chair.
As of January 2005, Costa Rican has 2.4 million registered voters.
According to the Código Electoral, "naturalized" citizens can vote is
they obtained their citizenhip at least one year before the elections.
Those naturalized citizens who don't get to vote in the 2006 elections
will have to wait until 2010.
The Código Electoral also states that any foreigner who is married to a
Costa Rican citizen and resides permanently for at least two years can
obtain Costa Rican citizenship.
Send this Page To a Friend
|
|
