Task of Counting Votes Begins
Never in the history of Costa Rican politics has there not been a winner declared following a vote. Costa Ricans have come to expect that, within hours of the voting stations closing, to know wo their next president is and either party in celebration or sulk in defeat, depending on which flag is waving.

It has also been a political history where two parties - the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) or "green" party and the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) or "red" party have alternated governing the country.

Smaller parties have always been around, but they never amounted to anything. Except this election.

Actually it all started in the 2002 election when Ottón Solís and his Partido Acción Cuidadana (PAC) forced a second round election - another first in Costa Rican politics - taking away votes from the PLN and PUSC candidates.

This time around, Solís is so close to the presidential chair that he can smell the leather, as the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) decided to suspend the vote Monday afternoon following inconsistencies with the count and ordered a full manual count before declaring a winner.

The PUSC, headed by Ricardo Toledo, a former minister in president Pacheco's government, was completely shattered, earning less that 3.5% of the popular vote, even lower than the 5% the pollsters were giving him.

Unlike past elections where the "ley seca" - the law that prohibits the sale of liquor and beer the day before, the day of and the day after the elections - was necessary to curb the festivities and political fights that sometimes ended in fatalities, this election, Costa Ricans are still shaking their head, asking what happened.

Some Costa Ricans and foreigners were so convinced by the polls before the election that Arias was a shoe in, believe that he was elected. Shock and surprise fills their faces when told that the outcome still has to be decided.

The TSE have now begun a manual count of every vote cast Sunday. The laborious effort is to determine, without a doubt or question, the winner. The count is being done under tight security and under the scrutiny of both parties, international observers and judicial officials.

Everyone knows that the final count will be close and the TSE wants to make sure there are no mistakes. Oscar Fonseca, TSE president, announced the decision for a manual count on Monday, requesting all the ballots to be delivered to the TSE offices in San José, where they are under a 24 hour guard.

The count was stopped with 12% of the polling stations, mostly from San José, Alajuela and Heredia - Solís strongholds - and the process of counting each and every vote again began yesterday afternoon.

Though each vote was counted manually at each voting station, the results were sent to the TSE electronically. The TSE announced before the election that the security around the electronic reporting was very tight and Costa Ricans could be confident in them.

One thing is for sure, no matter who is declared the winner, Costa Ricans are divided in the direction the country should take. Also, voter turnout was 65%, the lowest in Costa Rican history.