Costa Ricans Split in Presidential Vote

Costa Rica was plunged into uncertainty today after initial election results showed a surprisingly thin margin between the two main presidential candidates.

The former president and Nobel peace prize winner Oscar Arias had 40.7% of the vote after 78% of ballots from Sunday’s election were counted.

But his leftwing rival Otton Solis took 40%, confounding opinion pollsters who had predicted he would receive less than a quarter of the vote.

Mr Arias, a centrist, had been hoping to win enough votes to avoid a run-off in April, but his opponent’s strong showing put that in doubt.

"I cannot claim victory yet," Mr Arias told reporters. "We are just going to postpone our victory celebrations for 24 hours."

Vote counting was scheduled to restart at around 6am local time (1200 GMT) today.

Mr Arias won the Nobel peace prize in 1987 for working to end Central America’s civil wars. He was president of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990.

The 65-year-old wants Costa Rica to join the Central American free trade agreement with the United States, arguing that it would help revitalize the national economy.

But Mr Solis, 51, says the agreement would hurt Costa Rican farmers and needs renegotiating before it is ratified.

He is hoping to ride a wave of left-wing support that is sweeping through some Latin American countries.

Costa Rica has long been considered one of the most stable countries in the region. But a series of corruption scandals involving three former presidents has dented its image. Mr Arias is not among the ex-leaders tainted by graft.

The incumbent president, Abel Pacheco, cannot seek immediate re-election under Costa Rican law.