a primary election was held among the members of costa rica’s then ruling national liberation party (pln) on june 7, 2009 in order to choose the pln’s nominee for presidency in the 2010 general election. the two main candidates for the nomination were then vice-president laura chinchilla and san josé mayor johnny araya. former security minister fernando berrocal also ran a basically testimonial candidacy. pln’s main rival party, pac, ran its own convention a month before.