, ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁choose ▁the ▁PL N ’ s ▁nom ine e ▁for ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁general ▁election . ▁The ▁two ▁main ▁candidates ▁for ▁the ▁nom ination ▁were ▁then ▁vice - pres ident ▁Laura ▁Ch inch illa ▁and ▁San ▁José ▁Mayor ▁Johnny ▁A ray a . ▁Form er ▁security ▁minister ▁Fernando ▁Ber ro cal ▁also ▁ran ▁a ▁basically ▁test imon ial ▁candid acy . ▁PL N ’ s ▁main ▁rival ▁party , ▁P AC , ▁ran ▁its ▁own ▁convention ▁a ▁month ▁before . ▁ ▁PL N ▁prim aries , ▁known ▁as ▁National ▁Con vent ions ▁( Con ven ción ▁Nacional ▁Liber acion ista ) ▁were ▁common ▁place ▁since ▁the ▁Party ’ s ▁foundation , ▁yet ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁election ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁PL N ’ s ▁nom ine e ▁former ▁president ▁Ó scar ▁A rias ▁seeking ▁re - e lection ▁ran ▁uno pp osed ▁and ▁was ▁designated ▁by ▁the ▁party ’ s ▁National ▁Assembly . ▁Un like ▁its ▁rival ▁P AC , ▁PL N ' s ▁election ▁was ▁an ▁open ▁primary ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁every ▁Costa ▁R ican ▁could ▁vote ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁p ledge ▁written ▁membership ▁to ▁the ▁party ▁( PL N ▁holds ▁open ▁prim aries ▁since ▁the ▁ 7 0 s ). ▁Deb ates ▁among ▁PL N ▁and ▁P AC ’ s ▁candidates ▁respectively ▁were ▁organized ▁in ▁different ▁colleg es , ▁N GO s ▁and ▁news ▁networks . ▁ ▁Form er ▁minister ▁Antonio ▁Ál vare z