Like many people in Nicaragua and around the world, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias stayed tuned yesterday as results rolled in from Nicaragua’s presidential election Sunday, showing Sandinista candidate and former President Daniel Ortega with 40% of votes and a likely first-round victory.

Asked his opinions on Ortega’s potential win, Arias, also a former President (1986-1990) and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said the two leaders would “once again work together as we did 20 years ago, this time not for peace in Central America, but to get Central American countries ahead,” Arias told the press in Santiago, Chile, where he is attending a meeting of the Intern ational Socialist council, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Arias also said he is confident in the stability of Nicaragua’s democracy and that Ortega’s win would not pose any kind of risk to the country.

“I am confident that Nicaraguan citizens will be satisfied with the election results,” Arias said.

Meanwhile, Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica told Channel 7 TV News they were less than satisfied with Ortega’s potential victory.

Several Nicas said they left their country because of leaders like Ortega and expressed concern that he would do nothing as President to develop Nicaragua and overcome poverty.

-Tico Times