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Social Christian Unity Party
The Social Christian Unity Party (Spanish: Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica.
PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of America (ODCA). It was founded in 1983 by merger of the parties that were part of the Unity Coalition: the Christian Democratic, the Republican Calderonista, People's Union and the Democratic Renovation Party. Its historical roots are in Calderonism, i.e. the movement of supporters of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, who was the country's president in the 1940s. From its foundation until the 2000s, the PUSC was one of Costa Rica's two dominant parties, alongside the National Liberation Party. It provided three presidents: Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier (1990–94), Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998–2002) and Abel Pacheco (2002–06).
Negotiations among the main right-wing opposition parties to create a political force capable of confronting the National Liberation Party (PLN) started as early as 1973, yet it wasn’t until 1977 that four political parties, the People's Union (liberal), Christian Democratic Party (Christian democracy), Republican Calderonista (Calderonism) and Democratic Renovation (social democracy) united forces in the Unity Coalition. After a primary election Rodrigo Carazo became the alliance's nominee, gaining victory in the 1978 general election. The Coalition not only achieved the Presidency but also a non-PLN parliamentary majority for the first time since the PLN's foundation. Yet, Carazo's administration was very unpopular due to the 1978–1982 economic crisis and the tensions with neighbor Nicaragua due to Costa Rica's support of the rebel guerrilla FSLN. Thus, Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, the Coalition's candidate in the 1982 general election, suffered a debacle, gaining only 33% of the votes and the PLN obtaining a landslide victory. However, Unity remained as the second political force.
On 17 December 1983, the four parties merged into the Social Christian Unity Party, not without certain controversy especially among certain factions in the Democratic Renovation. Costa Rica's law required for every party in the coalition to merge in order to be valid and also to be able of receiving the so call “political debt” (state contributions to parties after the election proportional to their electoral support). After a series of complex sessions, Democratic Renovation's National Assembly finally agreed by a slight majority to merge and PUSC was born, with Costa Rica passing from a dominant-party system into a two-party system with PLN and PUSC as the main political forces.
PUSC's first primary was held on 27 February 1989. Calderón Fournier faced Miguel Ángel Rodríguez with Calderón winning with 75% of the votes. Calderón, as the son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, the historical leader of Calderonism and the social reforms of the 1940s, was seen as the most representative leader of PUSC, while Rodríguez came from the liberal faction inside the party. This division between liberals and calderonistas would remain for decades.
In the 1990 election, following the aforementioned primary, Calderón won the presidency over the PLN's candidate Carlos Manuel Castillo.
A second primary was held in June 1993 between Rodríguez and Juan José Trejos (son of former president José Joaquín Trejos). This time, Rodríguez turned victorious with 75% of the vote but lost the presidential election to the PLN's candidate José María Figueres in 1994.
With Rodríguez as candidate again, the party did win both the presidency and a parliamentary majority in the 1998 election, this time without the need for primaries.
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Social Christian Unity Party
The Social Christian Unity Party (Spanish: Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica.
PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of America (ODCA). It was founded in 1983 by merger of the parties that were part of the Unity Coalition: the Christian Democratic, the Republican Calderonista, People's Union and the Democratic Renovation Party. Its historical roots are in Calderonism, i.e. the movement of supporters of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, who was the country's president in the 1940s. From its foundation until the 2000s, the PUSC was one of Costa Rica's two dominant parties, alongside the National Liberation Party. It provided three presidents: Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier (1990–94), Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998–2002) and Abel Pacheco (2002–06).
Negotiations among the main right-wing opposition parties to create a political force capable of confronting the National Liberation Party (PLN) started as early as 1973, yet it wasn’t until 1977 that four political parties, the People's Union (liberal), Christian Democratic Party (Christian democracy), Republican Calderonista (Calderonism) and Democratic Renovation (social democracy) united forces in the Unity Coalition. After a primary election Rodrigo Carazo became the alliance's nominee, gaining victory in the 1978 general election. The Coalition not only achieved the Presidency but also a non-PLN parliamentary majority for the first time since the PLN's foundation. Yet, Carazo's administration was very unpopular due to the 1978–1982 economic crisis and the tensions with neighbor Nicaragua due to Costa Rica's support of the rebel guerrilla FSLN. Thus, Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, the Coalition's candidate in the 1982 general election, suffered a debacle, gaining only 33% of the votes and the PLN obtaining a landslide victory. However, Unity remained as the second political force.
On 17 December 1983, the four parties merged into the Social Christian Unity Party, not without certain controversy especially among certain factions in the Democratic Renovation. Costa Rica's law required for every party in the coalition to merge in order to be valid and also to be able of receiving the so call “political debt” (state contributions to parties after the election proportional to their electoral support). After a series of complex sessions, Democratic Renovation's National Assembly finally agreed by a slight majority to merge and PUSC was born, with Costa Rica passing from a dominant-party system into a two-party system with PLN and PUSC as the main political forces.
PUSC's first primary was held on 27 February 1989. Calderón Fournier faced Miguel Ángel Rodríguez with Calderón winning with 75% of the votes. Calderón, as the son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, the historical leader of Calderonism and the social reforms of the 1940s, was seen as the most representative leader of PUSC, while Rodríguez came from the liberal faction inside the party. This division between liberals and calderonistas would remain for decades.
In the 1990 election, following the aforementioned primary, Calderón won the presidency over the PLN's candidate Carlos Manuel Castillo.
A second primary was held in June 1993 between Rodríguez and Juan José Trejos (son of former president José Joaquín Trejos). This time, Rodríguez turned victorious with 75% of the vote but lost the presidential election to the PLN's candidate José María Figueres in 1994.
With Rodríguez as candidate again, the party did win both the presidency and a parliamentary majority in the 1998 election, this time without the need for primaries.