Hernández was nominated by the group “Calderonista Convergence”, close to former presidentRafael Ángel Calderón Fournier who personally endorsed Hernández and followed the “Calderonism”[1] (the historical ideology of 40's caudillo and Fournier's father Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, a Christian socialist) whilst Piza was endorsed by the Social Christian Rebirth group, part of the more right-wing Liberal faction led by former president (and Fournier's rival) Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría.[2] On this election Piza had the support of Dr. Abel Pacheco's faction including Pacheco himself and his prime minister Ricardo Toledo.[3]
Hernández won the primary by a landslide victory with 77% of the votes and nominates Piza as his Vice-president.[4] Nevertheless, Hernández would resign his candidacy a few months later accusing the Party's leadership of treacheries and backstabbing. Piza took over the candidacy reaching only 6% of popular vote on the presidential ballot, but increasing its support for Congress to the point of duplicating its number of deputies.
