Former Leader of Costa Rica Figueres Congratulates His Rival Chaves on Runoff Election Victory

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Former Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres has accepted defeat in the second round of the presidential elections and has congratulated his rival, Former Costa Rican Finance Minister Rodrigo Chaves.

"Costa Rica has voted, the people have spoken. We, as Democrats, will always respect this decision. I congratulate Rodrigo Chaves and wish him all the best", Figueres told his supporters after preliminary voting results were announced, as broadcast by TeleSur on Sunday.

Chaves has 52.85 percent of the vote, according to results announced by Costa Rica's Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) after more than 96 percent of ballots were counted.

Earlier, the TSE said after processing around 89 percent of the vote that Chaves had 52.9 percent, while Figueres had 47.1 percent.

In the first round of the presidential election held in February, Figueres, who is a candidate from the National Liberation Party (PLN), won 27.28 percent. Meanwhile Chaves, from the Social Democratic Progress Party (PSD), was second with 16.78 percent.

None of the candidates managed to get 40 percent in the first round, so a runoff was set for 3 April. The new four-year presidential term begins on 8 May.

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