Evangelicals make up quarter of Costa Rica's new assembly

BY MARCO SIBAJA (AFP)

Costa Rica's new assembly will formally begin work on Tuesday, with 14 of its 57 new deputies evangelical Christians, making up one of the main groups in opposition to the center-left government of president-elect Carlos Alvarado.

The evangelicals, half of whom are pastors or preachers, were voted in by the National Restoration party -- which challenged the result of the April 1 presidential election won by Carlos Alvarado with 61 percent of the vote.

His rival, Fabricio Alvarado, a 43-year-old preacher who surged from obscurity by harshly criticizing moves to recognize gay marriage, came a distant second with 39 percent. Despite having the same last name, the two are not related.

Despite Alvarado's resounding victory, his Citizens' Action Party only holds 10 seats in the Legislative Assembly, with the list including Costa Rica's first openly-homosexual legislator, journalist Enrique Sanchez.

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