Of all the political parties in the country, not even the Citizen Action Party (PAC) is as split as Social Christian Unity. The big decision: Calderon or not Calderon.

Last week, the party hierarchy decided on next May 19 as the critical date for the party to choose its flag bearer for the 2014 elections. For the young anti-Calderonistas, it is a battle for the soul and future of Unity.

The party dates back to the late 1970s when, in the administration of President Rodtrigo Carazo, Social Christians and several like-minded smaller parties decided to gather under one roof.

It was a broad-based, modern party like National Liberation before it, to the right of center — but not too far right. No longer would some politician form his own political party as a caudista to run for president and stand a chance at election.

Not even the disastrous Carazo Administration with its financial meltdown and economic stress could keep Unity down for long. Two terms afterwards, it managed to elect Rafael Angel Calderon, son of a former president and political icon and Miguel Angel Rodriguez later.

It was a truly two-party system then with only a few small parties unable to gain a foothold. But two things happened — the indictments of Calderon and Rodriguez on corruption charges and the rise of two other parties — the Libertarians on the far right and PAC on the left.

The last president Unity elected, before the scandals broke was Abel Pacheco (2002-2006), of scrupulous honesty who was not a career politician and seemed at sea after he gained office, helplessly unable to control the political chaos around him.

The young Turks of Unity have vowed to move on into a new era of the party — without the taint of Calderon’s conviction and without his close associates.

They call themselves “Renacer Socialcristianismo” (Social Christianism reborn) and about the only thing they agree with “Convergencia Calderon” (get behind Calderon) is the time of the party national convention. Even that was a compromise.

Oh, yes. They did agree on Gerardo Vargas as party president. Such an office is, with all the ambitions and bruised egos involved, always an uncomfortable office but it must entail a tightrope walk for Vargas as if he were treading a greased string in a high wind.

Vargas pleaded for “maturity and love of Costa Rica” to prevail over differences but the convention next year promises to be a barroom brawl. The party president said that it was a time “not to cut off heads but to count heads.”

Whether he could be heard over the scraping sound of sharpening knives is a different question.