1953 Costa Rican general election explained

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 26 July 1953.^[1] José Figueres Ferrer of the National Liberation Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 67% in the presidential election and 68% in the parliamentary election.^[2] Local elections were also held.

This was Costa Rica's first election since the end of the 1948 Civil War, and democratic guarantees were not fully restored.

José Figueres, the caudillo of the victorious National Liberation Army faction in the Civil War, was the candidate of the newly founded National Liberation Party (PLN).^[3] Liberal Mario Echandi tried to be the candidate from then-ruling National Union Party (PUN), but his candidacy was denied by the Electoral Tribunal due to purported irregularities in the adherents' signatures.^[3] This move was highly criticized by Figueres' opponents as an action in favor of Figueres' candidacy.^[3]

As PUN was unable to participate, the only other candidacy alternate to Figueres was made by the Democratic Party, which nominated wealthy industrial magnate Fernando Castro Cervantes.^[3] The three parties—PLN, PUN and Democratic—were all formerly united in opposition against the 1940s governments of Rafael Angel Calderón and his allies, who were viewed as having caused the civil war. Yet, after the war, such unification ceased.^[3]

The losing sides in the civil war, mostly the Republicans (Calderón supporters) and the Communists, were unable to participate as the Republicans' party was disbanded and the Communist Party was constitutionally outlawed.^[3] The Republicans were nonetheless allowed to participate in the legislative ballot with a provincial party in San José called the "Independent" Republican Party, and thereby gained some seats. As expected, Figueres won by a landslide victory.^[3]

Background

The 1948 general elections had resulted in Otilio Ulate Blanco, National Union Party's nominee, winning over former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia and his coalition of the communist People's Vanguard Party and the socialcristiano National Republican Party.^{[4] [5]} The annulment of Ulate's victory led to a civil war that resulted in the overthrow of the calderonista government and the establishing of the "Founding Junta of the Second Republic", led by José Figueres Ferrer. Figueres, a social democrat, reached a deal with Otilio Ulate in which the Junta would govern with all powers (executive, legislative, judicial) for 18 months, introducing a wide array of reformist policies and would convene the election of a Constituent Assembly. In return, the Junta would recognize the legitimacy of Ulate's 1948 victory and would return power to him on no later than November 8, 1949, making him the first president of the "Second Republic" for a period no longer than 4 years.^[6]

The Junta constituted itself as a revolutionary government, suspended the 1871 Constitution, with the exception of the individual and social rights. It published several executive degrees with force of law repealing labor rights consecrated in the Labor Code, with the objective of firing calderonista and communist public employees.^{[7] [8]} Alleging the prevention of any potential rise of militarist tendencies looking to frustrate the consolidation of democracy, the Junta abolished the country's armed forces, keeping only a police force to keep national security. Ever since Costa Rica has had no army. Other policies enacted by the Junta include universal suffrage, allowing women, Afro-descendants and illiterates to vote. The Constituent Assembly of Costa Rica, elected in December, 1948 approved a new Constitution, based on the previous one but with several changes, after the first, more progressive draft was rejected.^[9]

The new government agreed to maintain the calderonista social and economic reforms, causing discomfort with oligarchic and conservative sectors. Furthermore, Figueres' decision to nationalize all banks and a 10% wealth tax were controversial and led to a failed coup attempt by Public Security Minister Edgar Cardona Quirós, in what is now known as the .^[10]

Results

President

By province

Province	width=60px	Figueres %	width=60px	Castro %
	64.1	35.9
	67.8	32.2
	75.0	25.0
	62.5	37.5
	58.4	41.6
	54.4	45.6
	57.9	42.1
Total	64.7	35.3

Parliament

By province

Province	PLN		PD		PRN		PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	S	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	S	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	S	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	S
	64.7	10	11.4	2	17.3	3	6.6	1
	67.8	6	26.4	2	-	-	5.7	0
	75.5	5	18.2	1	-	-	6.3	0
	62.2	2	31.1	1	-	-	6.3	0
	59.1	3	36.0	2	-	-	4.9	0
	55.0	1	30.7	1	-	-	14.3	0
	53.2	3	36.0	2	-	-	10.8	0
Total	64.7	30	21.2	11	7.2	3	6.9	1

By canton

Province	PLN	PRN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
San José	57.46	22.47	11.44	8.63
Escazú	73.40	10.68	13.68	2.24
Desamparados	76.91	10.76	7.83	4.49
Puriscal	66.38	11.45	16.83	5.34
Tarrazú	71.46	8.02	12.79	7.74
Aserrí	70.72	12.01	11.95	5.32
Mora	67.85	18.52	9.77	3.86
Goicoechea	64.69	19.35	11.39	4.57
Santa Ana	71.19	11.78	14.15	2.89
Alajuelita	60.18	18.54	15.13	6.14
Vázquez de Coronado	79.23	9.87	5.55	5.35
Acosta	71.70	8.61	15.80	3.89
Tibás	67.43	19.77	9.21	3.60
Moravia	66.44	16.64	9.95	6.97
Montes de Oca	69.27	14.54	9.27	6.93
Turrubares	63.50	3.41	27.74	5.34
Dota	73.06	9.19	9.52	8.23
Curridabat	78.52	10.59	8.12	2.77
Pérez Zeledón	84.51	3.04	8.99	3.46
Total	64.70	17.35	11.40	6.55

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Alajuela	64.77	30.75	4.48
San Ramón	68.53	19.28	12.19
Grecia	66.72	29.60	3.69
San Mateo	70.44	24.50	5.05
Atenas	68.07	20.91	11.02
Naranjo	77.94	18.62	3.44
Palmares	69.48	23.82	6.70
Poás	77.15	16.44	6.42
Orotina	57.80	39.16	3.04
San Carlos	67.07	28.74	4.19
Alfaro Ruiz	67.57	26.98	5.45
Valverde Vega	72.82	25.41	1.77
Total	67.81	26.45	5.74

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Cartago	77.45	15.65	6.91
Paraíso	67.86	16.67	12.47
La Unión	71.25	23.66	5.09
Jiménez	82.89	10.38	6.74
Turrialba	67.94	27.13	4.93
Alvarado	84.42	13.09	2.49
Oreamuno	87.48	6.35	6.17
El Guarco	81.08	17.68	1.24
Total	75.52	18.23	6.25

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Heredia	62.37	30.37	7.26
Barva	59.87	35.39	4.74
Santo Domingo	61.36	33.78	4.86
Santa Bárbara	66.16	27.55	6.28
San Rafael	63.99	27.26	8.75
San Isidro	68.64	27.75	3.61
Belén	60.94	36.45	2.61
Flores	61.77	27.76	10.47
Total	62.59	31.10	6.32

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Liberia	58.02	30.85	11.13
Nicoya	48.09	38.41	13.51
Santa Cruz	49.57	43.32	7.12
Bagaces	61.39	30.89	7.72
Carrillo	54.20	33.22	12.59
Cañas	49.16	46.90	3.94
Abangares	63.57	30.09	6.35
Tilarán	63.15	17.91	18.94
Total	53.25	35.97	10.79

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Puntarenas	62.64	34.22	3.15
Esparza	58.99	37.92	3.10
Buenos Aires	83.85	14.36	1.79
Montes de Oro	57.96	19.46	22.59
Osa	53.02	41.70	5.28
Aguirre	53.22	44.74	2.04
Golfito	54.92	35.31	9.77
Total	59.14	35.97	4.90

Province	PLN	PD	PUN
	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"	%
Limón	57.57	35.05	7.38
Pococí	53.61	17.35	29.04
Siquirres	45.54	34.84	19.62
Total	55.00	30.72	14.28

Local government

Notes and References

1. [Dieter Nohlen]
2. Nohlen, p156
3. Hernández Naranjo. Gerardo. Reseña de las elecciones presidenciales de 1953. 13 April 2016. es. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001045659/http://163.178.170.110/AtlasFinal2/documentos/ResenaHistoricaEleccion/1953.pdf. 2015-10-01. dead.
4. Book: Castro Vega . Óscar . Fin de la Segunda República: Figueres y la Constituyente del 49 . 2007 . EUNED . San Pedro, Montes de Oca . 978-9968-31-530-2 . 14 October 2021.
5. Web site: Ulate y Figueres . La Nación . Grupo Nación . 14 October 2021.
6. Web site: Pacto Ulate-Figueres . El Espíritu del 48 . 14 October 2021.
7. Contreras . Gerardo . ARNOLDO FERRETO SEGURA Y EL PARTIDO COMUNISTA DE COSTA RICA EN LA LUCHA POR LA SEGUNDA Y AUTÉNTICA INDEPENDENCIA NACIONAL . Revista Estudios . November 27, 2009 . 22 . 1 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131019225812/http://www.estudiosgenerales.ucr.ac.cr/estudios/no22/papers/iisec1.html . 14 October 2021. 2013-10-19 .
8. Contreras . Gerardo . Una lectura crítica a don José Figueres Ferrer. En torno a la Guerra Civil de 1948 y su papel en la Junta Fundadora de la Segunda República . Diálogos Revista Electrónica . August 2011 . 9 . 1 . 176 . 10.15517/dre.v9i1.6145 . 14 October 2021. free.
9. Book: Aguilar Bulgarelli . Óscar . Costa Rica y sus hechos políticos de 1948 Problemática de una década . 2004 . EUNED . San Pedro, Montes de Oca . 9968-31-350-5 .
10. Web site: Guerén . Pablo . Murió Edgar Cardona Quirós . La Nación, through Wayback Machine . Grupo Nación . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713001524/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2001/enero/13/pais12.html . 14 October 2021. 2015-07-13 .