Ex-president Figueres, conservative Alvarado lead early Costa Rica vote count

Presidential candidate Jose Maria Figueres of the National Liberation Party (PLN) greets supporters during the first round of Costa Rica's presidential election, at Cristo Rey cemetery in La Lucha village, in San Jose, Costa Rica, February 6, 2022. REUTERS/Mayela Lopez

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Former Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres and conservative contender Fabricio Alvarado led a preliminary partial tally of votes in Sunday's presidential election, figures published by the electoral tribunal showed.

No candidate is expected to win the more than 40% of votes needed to avoid a run-off, but if the initial trend in the vote count holds, Figueres and Alvarado could face off in a second round in early April to decide the presidency.

(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo)