Costa Rica With 58
Political Parties
There are only 15 months
to go before Costa
Ricans vote on a new
president and already 58
parties have registered
with the Tribunal
Supremo de Elecciones
(TSE).
Voters of the
presidential elections
to be held in February
2010 will probably never
hear of most of the
parties, as some are
specialized to represent
only certain sectors of
the population, like the
senior citizen's party
or the disable citizen's
party.
Luis Antonio Sobrado,
president of the TSE,
feels there is an "over
population" of
registered political
parties.
Sobrado compares the
political system in
neighbouring countries
like El Salvador with
6.8 million inhabitants
and only 6 political
parties, or Colombia
with a population of 42
million and only 8
registered national
political parties.
In Costa Rica there is
no restriction of the
number of political
parties or any
requirements based on
percentage of voters.
Many of the parties are
provincial and cantonal.
National parties,
however, are required to
have at least 3.000
signatures. |
