pinera poised for presidential comeback in chile
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

To succeed Socialist leader Michelle Bachelet

Pinera poised for presidential comeback in Chile

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Pinera poised for presidential comeback in Chile

Ex-president Pinera had a 36.6 percent lead to Guillier's 22.6 percent with more than 90 percent of the votes
Santiago - Arab Today

Billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera, who held a commanding lead in Chile's first round of presidential elections, and leftist former TV journalist Alejandro Guillier will contest a runoff next month.

Ex-president Pinera had a 36.6 percent lead to Guillier's 22.6 percent with more than 90 percent of the votes counted after the first round.

"Tonight we have achieved a great electoral result and above all because we have opened the doors which will lead us to better times," Pinera told his triumphant supporters.

Guillier, an independent supported by President Michelle Bachelet's Socialist party, beat off a stiff challenge from an unheralded far-left candidate, Beatriz Sanchez, for the second runoff place.

Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010 to 2014, had been the clear favorite going into Sunday's first round. The second round is set for December 17.

"The result is very similar to the one we had in 2009, and in 2009 we won the election, and we managed to get our country up and running," said Pinera, who campaigned on reviving an economy that has suffered years of weak growth.

"The result completely reconfigures the Chilean political landscape," University of Santiago analyst Rene Jara told AFP after both far-left and far-right candidates polled more strongly than expected among the eight presidential candidates.

Sanchez, who polled around a million votes as a representative of the anti-austerity Frente Amplio party, had given her party "very strong negotiating power for the second round," said Jara.

Although her party had been reluctant to pledge support for Guillier, "they are obliged to do so because they will not be responsible for a return of Pinera to power."

Analysts said Pinera will be forced to appeal to the far right for support in the second round, after extreme right-candidate Jose Antonio Kast polled strongly, taking 7.9 percent of the votes.

- Voter apathy -

Bachelet, who was also Chile's first woman president, hugged and took photographs with female supporters before casting her ballot in Santiago.

"It is important that people come out and vote (for a candidate) because they feel they represent what they want for Chile," she said, predicting a second round.

As he headed to a Santiago polling station, Fernando Aravena, 76, said: "We need change. That's the idea."

Daniel Concha, a 31-year-old psychologist, said it was "very likely" that Pinera would win the election.

Paula Salas, 35, said she voted for Sanchez.

"If she became president, she would do more, because she has less links with the powerful class," Salas said.

Lawyer Cristian Barros cautioned against a Pinera victory being seen as a foregone conclusion.

"There were several former presidential candidates in Chilean history who were considered winners, and I think Pinera should not be given as a winner until the end of the election," said Barros, 37.

Chile's constitution bans consecutive terms for presidents, but re-election after skipping a term is permissible.

Bachelet herself led the conservative South American country -- Latin America's fifth-largest economy -- from 2006 to 2010 and then was re-elected to replace Pinera in 2014.

Compulsory voting was dropped in 2012. Since then, a growing number of Chile's 14 million eligible voters have decided to stay away from voting booths.

- No majority? -

Pinera's first presidential victory in 2009 elections signified a break from the center-left politics that had reigned in Chile since democracy was restored with the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990.

But a Pinera comeback is not seen as a rejection of the overall economic and social model erected in the Bachelet years, during which Chile posted annual growth of 1.8 percent and passed tax and labor reforms, as well as introduced free education and the right to abortion.

"Chileans don't want to tear down the model, just fix its structure," said political analyst Mauricio Morales of Talca University.

Pinera has promised modifications to Bachelet's reforms, and vowed to have Chile join the club of developed nations within eight years.

His effectiveness, though, could be hobbled by a shortfall in legislative support.

"He is not going to have a majority in Congress," predicted analyst Marta Lagos, founder of Latinobarometro and MORI Chile.

Sunday's elections also included legislative elections for 155 congressional seats and half the Senate.

The right was set to increase its share of the seats, but not by enough to have the majority in either chamber.It is the first poll in the country's history that includes expatriate citizens.

Source:AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

pinera poised for presidential comeback in chile pinera poised for presidential comeback in chile

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

pinera poised for presidential comeback in chile pinera poised for presidential comeback in chile

 



GMT 11:28 2017 Saturday ,15 April

President Al-Bashir's visit to Kuwait and Bahrain

GMT 07:51 2017 Sunday ,26 November

HRH Crown Prince condoles with Egyptian President

GMT 14:35 2018 Friday ,12 October

Bahrain's media history documentation hailed

GMT 11:45 2017 Friday ,29 December

10 bodies found in mass grave in Myanmar

GMT 08:44 2016 Monday ,19 December

Hopeless Afghan struggle to save boy sex slaves

GMT 15:15 2013 Friday ,05 July

I breathe freedom in Jordan

GMT 12:55 2016 Sunday ,18 December

Kerry in likely last visit with Saudi king

GMT 05:49 2017 Wednesday ,24 May

Indian police make arrests after mobs lynch 8

GMT 12:12 2017 Sunday ,19 February

More South Sudanese officials quit unity gov't

GMT 09:25 2017 Wednesday ,09 August

Ghada Abdel Raziq prefers exciting drama

GMT 15:03 2017 Saturday ,14 October

HM King congratulates French President

GMT 22:10 2017 Wednesday ,03 May

Boosting Bahraini-Czech relations discussed

GMT 12:43 2017 Thursday ,30 November

Saudi prince freed in 'billion-dollar deal'

GMT 03:55 2017 Friday ,17 November

Al-Hilal's Eduardo looking to lead from the front

GMT 03:26 2017 Saturday ,18 November

Tesla's all-electric semi truck
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday