SAN JOSE, Feb 8 (NNN-XINHUA) ? Ruling party candidate Laura Chinchilla has declared victory in Costa Rica’s presidential elections, after her main rivals Otton Solis and Otto Guevara conceded defeat and congratulated her as the country’s first female president in history.

Laura, 49, vice president for incumbent President Oscar Arias in 2006 said that as the next president she will keep to her campaign promises.

With 67.9 percent of the votes counted by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal late last night, Laura won 46.76 percent. According to the country’s constitution, a candidate is required to gain at least 40 percent of the popular votes to win outright.

Laura Chinchilla, born on March 28 of 1959 in San Jose, majored in political science at the University of Costa Rica in 1977 and got a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1986 and returned to Costa Rica in 1989. Later, Chinchilla started her professional career as a consultant.

She became vice minister of public security in 1994 and the first female minister of public security from 1996 to 1998. Chinchilla joined the Legislative Assembly in 2002 and was tapped to be first vice president for incumbent President Oscar Arias in 2006.

Political observers said the central pillars of the Chinchilla campaign manifesto are improvement of the country’s infrastructure, creation of a progressive income tax and creating new jobs with “green jobs” initiative.

She also promised to create more working opportunities, better living conditions for children and senior citizens, as well as to combat crime and drug trafficking. — NNN-XINHUA

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