Social Christian Unity Party presidential primary, 2017

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Social Christian Unity Party presidential primary, 2017

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←  2013 June 4, 2017

  Rodolfo Piza.jpg Rafael Ortiz.jpg
Nominee Rodolfo Piza Rafael Ortiz
Party Social Christian Unity Social Christian Unity
Popular vote83,100 30,573
Percentage69% 24%
Previous Presidential Candidate

Rodolfo Piza
Social Christian Unity

Presidential Candidate

Rodolfo Piza
Social Christian Unity

The Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) presidential primary of 2017 or Social Christian National Convention as is known in Spanish is an electoral process for the selection of the party’s presidential candidate for the Costa Rican general election, 2018 and was scheduled for June 4, 2017. [1]

Social Christian Unity Party political party

The Social Christian Unity Party is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica.

Contents

The two main pre-candidates are previous presidential candidate, former PUSC's Secretary General and president of the Costa Rican Department of Social Security Rodolfo Piza, and current deputy, former President of Congress and former president of Liga Deportiva Alajuelense football team Rafael Ortiz.

Liga Deportiva Alajuelense association football club

Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, commonly known as Alajuelense and nicknamed La Liga, is a Costa Rican multisport club based in the borough of El Llano, Alajuela. Although they compete in a number of different sports, Alajuelense is mostly known for its association football team. It plays in the Primera División de Costa Rica, the top tier of the Costa Rican football league system. Alajuelense is one of two clubs to have never been relegated, along with Herediano.

Candidates

Piza, a lawyer and businessman, was PUSC’s candidate on the 2014 election ironically after losing the election to the winner of the previous primary, physician Rodolfo Hernández, due to Hernadez’ resignation as candidate motivated by internal party fighting. Hernández selected Piza as his running mate and Piza took over the nomination once Hernández left.

Piza is generally seen as part of the Liberal faction inside PUSC, [1] a more right-wing fiscally conservative and socially liberal faction lead by former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez, in favor of small government and lower taxes. Whilst Ortiz on the contrary claims to be representative of the traditional Calderonista faction, a more left-wing Social-Christian pro-Welfare State and more socially conservative faction inspired by Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia's Social Reform. [1] Ortiz also has the support of former president Abel Pacheco, [1] whilst the only other former president from PUSC, Rafael Angel Calderón Fournier (Guardia’s son) left PUSC altogether and formed his own new party with Hernández as candidate.

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equality. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support civil rights, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and free markets.

Cultural liberalism liberal view of society that stresses the freedom of individuals from cultural norms

Cultural liberalism is a liberal view of society that stresses the freedom of individuals from cultural norms and in the words of Henry David Thoreau is often expressed as the right to "march to the beat of a different drummer".

President of Costa Rica head of state and head of government of Costa Rica

The President of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The President is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two Vice presidents are elected in the same ticket with the president. The president appoints the Council of Ministers. Due to the abolition of the military of Costa Rica in 1948, the president is not a Commander-in-chief, unlike the norm in most other countries, although the Constitution does describe him as commander in chief of the civil defense public forces.

Piza has the support of most of PUSC's parliamentary faction, except for two deputies (Humberto Vargas and Jorge Rodríguez, both of them endorsed Ortiz) and two former ministers; Esmeralda Britton and Patricia Vega, and of course of Rodríguez. [1]

Contested candidates

Two more figures tried to be candidates; former president of the Costa Rican Railroad Institute Miguel Carabaguíaz and pro-marijuana activist Gerald Murray. [2] Both were denied participation due to not having the minimal time of membership (two years) in the party (Carabaguíaz was member, for a while, of Calderón Fournier's party but resign after Hernández was selected candidate instead of him and Murray is a new comer). Carabaguíaz did not appeal PUSC's decision but Murray did, presenting an appeal into Costa Rica's Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones that was rejected. [2] Murray went to be presidential candidate of the liberal National Union Party instead. [3]

National Union Party (Costa Rica)

The National Union Party is the name of several liberal conservative parties in Costa Rica, generally located right-to-center in the political spectrum.

Costs

The cost for inscription as pre-candidate was 40 million colones. A sum that was appealed by all pre-candidates except Piza arguing it was disproportionate, especially as other major parties like National Liberation and Citizens' Action had much lesser amounts for their respective primaries. [1] Carabaguiz and Murray did not paid as their candidacies were denied. [1] The Electoral Court did reduce the amount to 35 million. [4]

Opinion polls

Date Source Miguel Carabaguiaz Rafael Ortiz Rodolfo Piza Gerald Murray None
September–October, 2016 (Nationwide)Diario Extra [5] 7%9%34%- -
September–October, 2016 (Party membership)Diario Extra [5] 7%12%53%- -
February, 2017 (Nationwide)OPol Consultores [6] 2%8,3%38,3%2%49,4%

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Arrieta, Esteban (Lunes 28 Noviembre, 2016). ""Guerra civil" en el PUSC". La República. Retrieved 16 March 2017.Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. 1 2 Arrieta, Esteban (2017). "Requisitos sacan del ring a dos precandidatos del PUSC" (in Spanish). La República. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Gerald Murray busca campo en el Partido Unión Nacional. Diario Extra http://www.diarioextra.com/Noticia/detalle/330345/gerald-murray-busca-campo-en-partido-union-nacional . Retrieved 22 May 2017.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ Arrieta, Esteban. "TSE valida cuota de ¢35 millones para aspirantes del PUSC". La República. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  5. 1 2 Solano, Jacqueline (2016). "Densanti, Campbell y Piza serían los próximos candidatos presidenciales".
  6. ↑ Romero, Fernanda (2017). "Piza Rocafort y Álvarez Desanti a la cabeza de cara a las convenciones internas". Mundo. Archived from the original on 2017-02-15.
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