REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. DECLASSIFIED Authority Stateletter Woha eyme, NARA Date 2498 and seek nomination by the Congress as First Designate if neither he nor Octavio Beeche receive an absolute majority of the votes cast on February 9, 1936. This move, however, seems to be the logical one for León Cortés should he fail to receive an absolute majority in the elections.
The Department will recall that as the result of the resignation of Manuel Castro Quesada following his failure to receive a majority of the votes cast and his abortive Bellavista coup état, Ricardo Jiménez was elected First Designate by the Congress and has therefore served as President of the Republic since May 1932. The Communists seem to foresee a similar procedure in the event no candidate should receive an absolute majority of the votes cast on February 9, 1936.
In view of the fact that Manuel Mora Valverde, the Communist candidate, is only 26 years of age and is therefore apparently not eligible for election as President of the Republic (see Section of Article 96 of the Constitution of Costa Rica. it would appear that either León Cortés or Octavio Beeche would receive an absolute majority of the votes cast in the regular elections because of the automatic voiding of the votes cast for Mora.
The Communists, naturally, do not take this point of view and have heretofore announced that if Mora receives the majority of the votes cast in the elections (an improbability. he will take his seat in spite of the Constitutional