This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/21/chile-election-pinera-guillier-frente-amplio
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Chile faces new political landscape as leftwingers dent billionaire Piñera's hopes | Chile faces new political landscape as leftwingers dent billionaire Piñera's hopes |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Chile, so used to geological upheavals, faces a vastly changed political landscape after a progressive alliance surged ahead in Sunday’s general election, and left conservative presidential frontrunner Sebastián Piñera facing a tough fight in December’s run-off. | Chile, so used to geological upheavals, faces a vastly changed political landscape after a progressive alliance surged ahead in Sunday’s general election, and left conservative presidential frontrunner Sebastián Piñera facing a tough fight in December’s run-off. |
| Piñera, a billionaire and former president, had been widely expected to cruise to victory – and possibly even win outright in the first round. He still took first place, taking 36% of the vote, but faced a strong challenge by two main leftwing rivals who between them won 43%. | Piñera, a billionaire and former president, had been widely expected to cruise to victory – and possibly even win outright in the first round. He still took first place, taking 36% of the vote, but faced a strong challenge by two main leftwing rivals who between them won 43%. |
| Former TV news anchor Alejandro Guillier, who heads a centre-left alliance, came second in the presidential race, but the real political earthquake, was the emergence of a new political force, the Frente Amplio – or Broad Front – whose roots can be traced to student protests that shook the country in 2011. | Former TV news anchor Alejandro Guillier, who heads a centre-left alliance, came second in the presidential race, but the real political earthquake, was the emergence of a new political force, the Frente Amplio – or Broad Front – whose roots can be traced to student protests that shook the country in 2011. |
| Often compared to the Podemos movement in Spain, the FA is an anti-establishment alliance of left-liberal parties, ecologists, humanists and grassroots organizations. | Often compared to the Podemos movement in Spain, the FA is an anti-establishment alliance of left-liberal parties, ecologists, humanists and grassroots organizations. |
| Among the movement’s demands are the replacement of Chile’s neoliberal economic model together with the Pinochet-era constitution; broad changes to the country’s pension system; and major reforms in health, education, workers’ rights and wages. | Among the movement’s demands are the replacement of Chile’s neoliberal economic model together with the Pinochet-era constitution; broad changes to the country’s pension system; and major reforms in health, education, workers’ rights and wages. |
| Led by Beatriz Sánchez, a 46-year-old journalist who came third with 20% of the popular vote, Frente Amplio will now also control 12% of the 155-seat chamber of deputies. | |
| According to political scientist Claudio Fuentes, the main outcome of the election is a fragmented parliament polarised between the right and left – and a complex, unpredictable scenario for the second-round presidential vote in which the FA finds itself a reluctant kingmaker. | According to political scientist Claudio Fuentes, the main outcome of the election is a fragmented parliament polarised between the right and left – and a complex, unpredictable scenario for the second-round presidential vote in which the FA finds itself a reluctant kingmaker. |
| “After this triumph by Frente Amplio, the main issue is what proportion of that vote will now go to Alejandro Guillier,” said Fuentes. “Piñera will present a more moderate image to try and win over wavering centrists.” | “After this triumph by Frente Amplio, the main issue is what proportion of that vote will now go to Alejandro Guillier,” said Fuentes. “Piñera will present a more moderate image to try and win over wavering centrists.” |
| Frente Amplio supporters now face a choice: do they swing behind a Guillier-led coalition, which includes some of the parties in the current coalition government led by Michelle Bachelet, or do they carry on as radical independents and focus on building a popular base? | Frente Amplio supporters now face a choice: do they swing behind a Guillier-led coalition, which includes some of the parties in the current coalition government led by Michelle Bachelet, or do they carry on as radical independents and focus on building a popular base? |
| Sunday’s election was also marked by a high level of voter abstention, continuing a trend witnessed in presidential elections four years ago when just under half of the electorate turned out to vote. | Sunday’s election was also marked by a high level of voter abstention, continuing a trend witnessed in presidential elections four years ago when just under half of the electorate turned out to vote. |
| “The main problem in Chile is a growing disaffection. Many people simply don’t have any interest in or identify with the country’s politicians,” said Claudia Heiss, a political science professor at the University of Chile. | “The main problem in Chile is a growing disaffection. Many people simply don’t have any interest in or identify with the country’s politicians,” said Claudia Heiss, a political science professor at the University of Chile. |
| Such frustration with the political class motivated many of the reforms introduced during the present Bachelet government. | Such frustration with the political class motivated many of the reforms introduced during the present Bachelet government. |
| One such reform was a gender quota law and women have certainly witnessed a strong improvement in their representation in the country’s parliament. Female deputies in the lower chamber jumped from 16 to 23%, with a similar hike in the country’s senate. | |
| According to Marcela Ríos, National Officer for Democratic Governance at the UNDP in Santiago: “We’ve never had an increase of more than 2 or 3% before in the congress – so this is really significant.” |