What is the Legislature's Composition?

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The legislature is a unicameral body made up of 57 representatives (called diputados), who are elected once every 4 years at the same time as the President and the municipal councils.  They may not be re-elected to consecutive terms.

As specified in the Constitution, the seats are divided by province according to the population determined in the latest census (done in 2000): San José: 20; Alajuela: 11; Cartago: 7; Heredia: 5; Guanacaste: 4; Puntarenas: 5 and Limón: 5 .

On the ballots, each party is listed and citizens vote for one party for their province, not for individual candidates.  Each party has registered the name of their 1st through nth place candidate for each province, the "n" being ascertained according to their most optimistic predictions as to the number of votes they can expect in the election.  The votes cast in each province are divided by number of seats for that province and then each party who reaches that number of votes earns a seat.

In the 2010 legislature, the parties are divided as follows

• 4 - PASE (Accessibility without Exclusion Party)
• 11 - PAC (Citizen Action Party)
• 1 - Frente Amplio (Full Front Party)
• 24  - PLN
• 9 - ML (Libertarian Movement)
• 1 - Renovacion (Costa Rican Renovation Party)
• 1 - Restuaracion (Costa Rican Restoration Party)
• 6 - PUSC (United Social Christian Party)

The representatives are accorded certain privileges and immunities from prosecution in the constitution, so that they may oppose the executive or legislative power without any fear of reprisal.