San Jose, April 2 (RHC)-- Former government minister and author, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, from the ruling center-left Citizen Action Party (PAC) has been elected president of Costa Rica.

Alvarado Quesada defeated Fabricio Alvarado Munoz, a right-wing journalist and evangelical preacher from the National Restoration Party (PRN). The latter received just about 39 percent of the vote with 95 percent of all the polls accounted for.

The turnout figures reported about 62 percent of eligible voters.

The polls closed at 6 p.m. in Costa Rica with more than 3 million voters, 31,864 of whom live abroad, voting to elect the president for the next four years.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal's President Luis Antonio Sobrado said that the day was largely uneventful, without any significant incidents arising.

A run-off poll was required to determine whether Alvarado Munoz or Alvarado Quesada – no relation – would become the next Costa Rican president.

Both candidates faced off in the hotly contested race which was hinged on gender diversity.

Leading up to Sunday's run-off, pre-election polls had routinely reported a technical tie between Alvarado Munoz and Alvarado Quesada, with about 20 percent of eligible voters still undecided.