SAN JOSE 2 Apr (ANA) - Carlos Alvarado, who has won Sunday's presidential election in Costa Rica, has called for unity after a divisive election campaign.

 

The centre-left candidate won by a surprisingly wide margin over his evangelical rival, Fabricio Alvarado (no relation).

 

With more than 95% of votes counted, Carlos Alvarado had a 21.5 percentage point lead.

 

He called on other parties to join him in a government of national unity.

 

Polls conducted ahead of the second round of voting on Sunday had put the two candidates neck and neck, and Carlos Alvarado's unassailable lead early on Sunday was unexpected.

 

In his victory speech, given on Sunday night in front of hundreds of supporters in the city of San Pedro, the ex-government minister said that Costa Ricans could now "go to sleep reassured because there is a result, a decision and now we'll unite to take this country forward".

 

He also said that he had already received a "brotherly call" from his rival, Fabricio Alvarado, congratulating him.

 

The battle between Fabricio Alvarado, an evangelical pastor who had won the first round of the election on the back of his opposition to same-sex marriage, and Carlos Alvarado, who backs its legalisation, had been fierce.(ANA)

FA/ANA/2 April 2018------