By Vaikom Madhu


Costa Rica gets its first female president, with Laura Chinchilla, the ruling party candidate, taking 49 % of the vote.

Otton Solis of the Citizen Action Party and Otto Guevara, of the Libertarian Movement Party conceded defeat.

"She is going to be the next president of Costa Rica," Solid told his supporters, while Guevarra offered congratulations to "our president, Laura Chinchilla".

Chinchilla thanked the supporters in San Jose: "Thank you, Costa Rica. It's certainly a moment of happiness, but above all of humility ...."
Chinchilla, who served as vice-president under Oscar Arias, the current president and Nobel-prize winner, has pledged to continue Arias's moderate free-market policies. She is Latin America’s fifth female President.

Under Arias's National Liberation Party ,Costa Rica has been brought into the CAFTA with the United States and initiated trade relations with China.

Costa Rica enjoys the highest standard of living in Central America and is renowned for not having an army. The country is also Central America's oldest democracy with a record of 60 years of democratic elections.