Poll: Ticos Roundly Reject Figueres Explanation

A Unimer poll published last Sunday in the leading Spanish-language newspaper La Nacion showed an overwhelming number of Costa Ricans reject the explanation ex-President Jose Figueres (1994-98) gave to a TV interviewer that the $900,000 he received from Alcatel was legitimate.

After the Alcatel bribery scandal broke here, Figueres did not return to his native land for 11 years, until last December. Not long before his return he was interviewed by Channel 7 News and explained that his acceptance of the Alcatel fee was proper.

That broadcast was viewed by 53% of the national TV audience. In the Unimer poll, 86% of the populace did not believe him. In fact, pollsters broke it down: his explanation made 64% of them angry, caused 15% pity and brought 5% to laughter and was greeted by 3% with total indifference.

Figueres has said he rejects any call from his party to seek the 2014 nomination. It is just as well, because the poll shows 88% of the populace does not want him to even try and only five percent would vote for him.

The staggering contrast is with a September, 1994 poll after he had been in office only four months. He received an 65% approval rating. After that, it seemed all downhill, especially after he had left office and the Alcatel bribery scandal hit.

But distrust of Figueres is only part of the picture the poll paints. If the 2014 election were held today, some 22% would abstain. Since the election is more than two years away, it may be the citizens just don't want to think of elections, because half of those polled said they were still undecided.

Although it's early to say who might be the nominees for the major parties, San Jose mayor Johnny Araya leads the pack of National Liberation hopefuls with a 57% approval rating, followed by 55% by Citizen Action Party (PAC) former lawmaker Epsy Campbell.

The latter possible candidate is leading the PAC chief Otton Solis who merely got 41% favorable votes. On the Liberation side, Araya handily leads perennial candidate Antonio Alvarez (Desanti) who has a 41% approval rating and former cabinet minister Rodrigo Arias who has a 30% approval rating. Libertarian party chief Otto Guevara has 32% approval.

But these figures, while interesting as the subject of idle chatter, can change dramatically. What is clear is that no one is capturing the hearts and minds of Costa Ricans so far, as President Barak Obama did in the United States three years ago.

Whatever the reason, the candidates will have their work cut out for them. Most voters (52%) say they view the 2014 election with indifference, 25% say they are disillusioned with the process, 5% are downright disturbed and only 15% retain the Tico enthusiasm of old for politics.