The deadline for new political groups that intend to participate in the 2018 is February 3rd, 2017. This will be the last day they have to present the formal registration with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
By that date they must have conformed all the basic structures and the higher structure. That day they should be presenting the ballots of the adhesions, the record of their last assembly and any other documentation needed. For a provincial-level party, at least 100 people are required, but they are not required to be from the province they represent,”
said Kattia Rojas, a spokeswoman for the Political Parties Registry.
In total, there are currently 21 groups that have made the request: five at national level and 16 at provincial level.
The national groups under review are: National Agenda (Panac), Citizens for the Common Good (PCPBC), Workers Party (PT), Liberal Progressive (PLP) and Ecological Revolution Party (PRE).
The Court has a maximum period of six months to resolve the registration of the party, because, according to Rojas, this is a very rigorous process.
At the provincial level, the parties are: Acción Democrática San José (PAD), Acting Now Cartago (PAY), Animalista San José (PASJ), Educators of Alajuela (PDEA), Provincial Innovation (PIP), New Socialist Party San José (NPS), New Socialist Party Cartago (NPSC), New Socialist Party Heredia (NPSH), Puntarenas Organization (POP), Progressive Cartaginés (PPC), Revolutionary Workers from Guanacaste, Todos San José (PT), Union Guanacasteca (PUG), Vamos, San José (VAM), and Popular Vanguard, Limón (PVP).
Rojas stressed that until there is no registration resolution, parties that are tempted to engage in campaign activity
can get in troubles problem if a third party complains. For our purposes, the party has legal endorsement upon registration, not before.”