Politics

The politics of Costa Rica takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Costa Rica is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Costa Rica is a republic with a strong system of constitutional checks and balances. Costa Rica has no military but maintains domestic Police and armed National Guard forces securing its interests.

Constitution

A constitutional amendment approved in 1969 limited presidents and deputies to one term, although a deputy could run again for an Assembly seat after sitting out a term. The prohibition was officially recognised as anti-constitutional in April 2003, allowing Óscar Arias to run for President a second time in the 2006 Costa Rican presidential elections.

Executive Branch

Executive responsibilities are vested in a president, who is the country's centre of power. There also are two vice presidents and a 15-member cabinet that includes one of the vice presidents. The president and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected for 4-year terms.

The offices of the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Procurator General of the Public, and the Ombudsman exercise autonomous oversight of the government. The Comptroller General's office has a statutory responsibility to scrutinise all but the smallest contracts of the public sector and strictly enforces procedural requirements.

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Assembly Assembly (Spanish: Asamblea Legislativa) is composed of 57 deputies (diputados), who are elected by direct, universal, popular vote on a proportional representation basis, by provinces, for four-year terms. The national congress building is located in the city capital, San José, specifically in El Carmen District in San José Canton.

Governors appointed by the president head the country's seven provinces, but they exercise little power. There are no provincial legislatures. Autonomous state agencies enjoy considerable operational independence; they include the telecommunications and electrical power monopoly, the nationalised commercial banks, the state insurance monopoly, and the social security agency.

Judicial Branch

Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of 22 magistrates selected for renewable 8-year terms by the Legislative Assembly, and subsidiary courts. A Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, established in 1989, reviews the constitutionality of legislation and executive decrees and all habeas corpus warrants.