Solís Denounces While Arias Has Faith In the Work of the TSE In The Manual Vote Count
The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) is expected to finish the manual vote counting of the February 5 election. Oscar Fonseca, president of the TSE, says that once the counting is finished, they will take a recess before announcing the winner between Oscar Arias and Ottón Solís.

However, last night on national television, the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) presidential candidate, Ottón Solís, came out criticising the TSE, which prompted a quick and harsh response given through TSE magistrate, Luis Antonio Sobrado.

The TSE statement questioned the Solís statements related to the trustworthiness of the TSE and that a large number of ballots going missing.

"The Tribunal will do what is necessary so that the verdict by the votes will faithfully translate into designating our next leader", said Luis Antonio Sobrado.

Following the press conference, Sobrado, denied the charges made by Solís earlier that 5.000 ballots have gone missing and question the scrutinization process of the ballots by the TSE. "There are no 5.000 ballots missing and the scrutiny of the ballots in sight of the Padrón Registro", sadi Sobrado.

The PAC is charging inconsistencies in as many as 712 voting stations.

"Transparency and the purity of the vote is fundamental and as such we much keep a close eye on the process so there will be no doubt. For the tranquility and peace of Costa Rica, we ask the Tribunal to re-scrutinize the 712 voting station results, not simply counting the votes", Solís told his television viewing audience.

Solís said that there are some 5.000 votes missing, some being found in coffee plantations, others in school desks, questioning where they all are. If the Solís is true, it could make the difference between a PAC win or loss as the vote count at closing yesterday was less than 5.000 and could divide the country.

A visitor in a downtown San José bar compared the current election situation in Costa Rica to that in Florida.

On the other side of town, the Partido Liberación Naional (PLN) presidential candidate, Oscar Arias, is being quiet and is calmly awaiting the end of the count by the TSE, confident that he will be elected as president.

"I have complete faith and confidence in the honorability and integrity of the Tribunal magistrates" said Arias.

Arias added that the country will respect the official results once given by the TSE. Francisco Antonio Pacheco, president of the PLN, gave his 100% support to work of the TSE, the scrutiny process and without any pressure from his party.

As of last night the vote count results show the PLN leading with 616.685 votes to the PAC's 612.655, a difference of only 4.030 votes.