Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Laura Fernandez Delgado was elected president of Costa Rica after winning the first round of the country's presidential election. Fernandez will take office May 8 and will become the second woman to lead the Central American nation.
The candidate of the Pueblo Soberano Party, the ruling party of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, won about 49% of valid votes Sunday, which that allowed her to avoid a runoff and secure continuity of the current administration's political project.
According to Costa Rica's Supreme Electoral Tribunal, voter turnout reached about 69% of the electoral rolls.
With more than 93% of polling stations counted, Fernandez built a clear lead over her rivals. National Liberation Party candidate Alvaro Ramos placed second with just over 32% of the vote. Claudia Dobles of the Agenda Ciudadana Coalition followed with about 4.7%.
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