Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
Encyclopedia
The Legislative Assembly is the unicameral
legislative branch
of the government
of Costa Rica
. The national congress building is located in the city capital, San José
, specifically in El Carmen District in San José Canton
.
(diputados), who are elected by direct, universal, popular vote
on a proportional representation
basis, by provinces
, for four-year terms. A 1949 constitutional amendment prevents deputies from serving for two successive terms; however, a deputy may run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.
However, six deputies defected from the PAC and one from the PML, and so those party's strengths now stand at 8 and 5, respectively.
and Czechoslovakia
, however, the onset of the Second World War put a halt to the project. Work did not recommence until 1957, but by 1958 the legislature was installed and operating in its new premises.
n country not to return deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament
.
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
legislative branch
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The national congress building is located in the city capital, San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
, specifically in El Carmen District in San José Canton
San José Canton
San José is the name of the first canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 44.62 km² and has a population of 386,799 . It includes the national capital city of San José....
.
Composition
The Legislative Assembly is composed of 57 deputiesChamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
(diputados), who are elected by direct, universal, popular vote
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
on a proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
basis, by provinces
Provinces of Costa Rica
Costa Rica consists of 7 provinces :The provinces are further divided into cantons , which are subdivided into districts .-See also:* ISO 3166-2:CR* Cantons of Costa Rica* Districts of Costa Rica...
, for four-year terms. A 1949 constitutional amendment prevents deputies from serving for two successive terms; however, a deputy may run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term.
2002 legislative election
Legislative elections were previously held on 2 February 2002. The percentage vote by party broke down as follows, with the number of Assembly seats indicated being awarded:- Social Christian Unity PartySocial Christian Unity PartyThe Social Christian Unity Party is a political party in Costa Rica.PUSC considers itself a Christian Democratic Party and, as such, is a member of the Centrist Democrat International.-2002 election:...
(PUSC): 30%, 19 seats - National Liberation Party (PLN): 27%, 17 seats
- Citizens' Action PartyCitizens' Action PartyThe Citizen's Action Party is a left-leaning political party in Costa Rica.Its platform is based on encouraging citizen participation and involvement in politics. One of its guiding ideals is to fight against corruption, arguing that it is one of the main causes of subdevelopment and voter apathy...
(PAC): 22%, 14 seats - Libertarian Movement Party (PML): 9%, 6 seats
- Others: 12%, 1 seat
However, six deputies defected from the PAC and one from the PML, and so those party's strengths now stand at 8 and 5, respectively.
2006 legislative election
Legislative elections were held on 5 February 2006. The percentage vote by party broke down as follows, with the number of Assembly seats indicated being awarded http://www.tse.go.cr/descargas/decl_dip.pdf:- National Liberation Party (PLN): 36%, 25 seats
- Citizens' Action PartyCitizens' Action PartyThe Citizen's Action Party is a left-leaning political party in Costa Rica.Its platform is based on encouraging citizen participation and involvement in politics. One of its guiding ideals is to fight against corruption, arguing that it is one of the main causes of subdevelopment and voter apathy...
(PAC): 26%, 17 seats - Libertarian Movement Party (PML): 9%, 6 seats
- Social Christian Unity PartySocial Christian Unity PartyThe Social Christian Unity Party is a political party in Costa Rica.PUSC considers itself a Christian Democratic Party and, as such, is a member of the Centrist Democrat International.-2002 election:...
(PUSC): 8%, 5 seats - Others: 18%, 4 seats
2010 legislative election
Elections were last held on Frebruary 2010. The current composition of the National Assembly is as follows:- National Liberation Party (PLN): 42%, 23 seats
- Citizens' Action PartyCitizens' Action PartyThe Citizen's Action Party is a left-leaning political party in Costa Rica.Its platform is based on encouraging citizen participation and involvement in politics. One of its guiding ideals is to fight against corruption, arguing that it is one of the main causes of subdevelopment and voter apathy...
(PAC): 19%, 11 seats - Libertarian Movement Party (PML): 16%, 10 seats
- Social Christian Unity PartySocial Christian Unity PartyThe Social Christian Unity Party is a political party in Costa Rica.PUSC considers itself a Christian Democratic Party and, as such, is a member of the Centrist Democrat International.-2002 election:...
(PUSC): 11%, 6 seats - Accessibility without Exclusion Party (PASE): 7%, 4 seats
- Costa Rican Renovation PartyCosta Rican Renovation Party-History:Established in 1995, the party first participated in national elections in 1998, when its presidential candidate, Sherman Thomas Jackson received 1.4% of the vote, whilst they won a single seat in the parliamentary elections, taken by Justo Orozco....
(PRC): 5%, 1 seats
Premises
The Assembly meets in the Edificio Central ("Central Building") located in the city centre of San José. Work began on this building in 1937, with the plan of having it serve as the new presidential palace. Since much of the building materials were imported from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, however, the onset of the Second World War put a halt to the project. Work did not recommence until 1957, but by 1958 the legislature was installed and operating in its new premises.
Central American Parliament
Costa Rica is the only Spanish-speaking Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n country not to return deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament
Central American Parliament
The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City....
.