Solís Accepts Defeat, Arias Says It Was About Time!
Though the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) has yet to "officially" proclaim the president-elect, presidential candidate for the Partido Acción Cuidadana (PAC), Ottón Solís, went on live television last night to accepting defeat in the February 5 elections.

Staged to make the announcement during the evening news hour, prompty at 7:30pm, mid-dawy through both Teletica's and Repretel's news hour, Mr. Solís announced that he conceded the presidential chair to rival,  Partido Liberación National (PLN) leader, Oscar Arias.

Solís stated that the complaints made to the TSE on election abnormalities have not been frivolous and that there is nothing he can do since the TSE has decided to not to act on the accusations.

Solís told his viewing audience that it is now time for the country to come together and all Costa Ricans should give their support to president Arias, whom he hopes will provide a successfull government for the next four years.

Solís in wishing Arias the best reminded him that it is time to end corruption, reduce poverty, better the quality of education, provide citizens more security and improve the conditions of the roads.

Solís said that he sent a letter to Arias, asking for a dialogue on the issues, assuring that his attitude is one grouping together and not antagonistic. "Costa Rica is no longer monolithic and that was expressed by the results of the election votes", said Solís.

Mr. Solís would not, out of respect, disclose the contents of the letter until Mr. Arias has had a change to review it.

Solis lost the election by just 18,167 votes out of some 1.4 million ballots cast, according to the "unofficial" results of the manual count concluded Wednesday the week earlier.

"I ask everyone to also accept him as the new president," were the words of Solís, who gave members of the PAC party some encouragement saying that the results will be different in 2010.

Oscar Arias, told the television viewing audience following the Solís announcement that the door to his home and Casa Presidencial is open to Ottón. Arias, speaking from a porch in his home, referred to the number of conversations the two men had on the very same porch when Solís was a minister in his previous government and said he looks forward to many more.

Asked if he thought Solís had waited too long to make the announcement, Arias just simply said " ya era hora de pasar la página" - it was already time to turn the page.

Arias, now 65,served as president from 1986 to 1990, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his work as a mediator to help end the bloody civil wars that wracked Central America in the 1980s.

The TSE has kept firm in its decision to wait until next Friday to make an "official" announcement, saying it has a duty to fulfill largely procedural steps before formally declaring Arias the winner.

Arias will officially take office on May 8, as president Abel Pacheco hands over the keys to Casa Presidencial, in an official ceremony at noon.

Arias supports a free trade agreement with the United States, arguing it would help revitalize the country's stagnant economy. But Solis argued that the pact, known as CAFTA or TLC locally would hurt farmers if enacted, and said it should be renegotiated.

In total there were fourteen candidates in the 2006 presidential elections.