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Billionaire wins Chile election | Billionaire wins Chile election |
(30 minutes later) | |
Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera has won Chile's presidential run-off, ending two decades of centre-left rule. | Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera has won Chile's presidential run-off, ending two decades of centre-left rule. |
Social Democrat Eduardo Frei conceded defeat after results from 60% of polling stations showed Mr Pinera with 52% of the vote to Mr Frei's 48%. | Social Democrat Eduardo Frei conceded defeat after results from 60% of polling stations showed Mr Pinera with 52% of the vote to Mr Frei's 48%. |
Mr Pinera promised a tough law-and-order programme and vowed to use his business know-how to boost the economy. | Mr Pinera promised a tough law-and-order programme and vowed to use his business know-how to boost the economy. |
Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet was barred by law from standing again. | Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet was barred by law from standing again. |
Mr Pinera has promised to continue her highly popular social policies. | Mr Pinera has promised to continue her highly popular social policies. |
Chile's last conservative leader was military ruler Gen Augusto Pinochet, who seized power in 1973 and ruled until 1990. | Chile's last conservative leader was military ruler Gen Augusto Pinochet, who seized power in 1973 and ruled until 1990. |
Mr Pinera now becomes Chile's first democratically elected conservative leader for more than half a century. | Mr Pinera now becomes Chile's first democratically elected conservative leader for more than half a century. |
'Fresh air' | |
Mr Pinera won 44% of the vote in last month's first round, well ahead of Mr Frei, the governing Social Democrat candidate. | Mr Pinera won 44% of the vote in last month's first round, well ahead of Mr Frei, the governing Social Democrat candidate. |
After 20 years I think a change will be good for Chile Sebastian Pinera class="" href="/2/hi/americas/8461261.stm">Profile: Sebastian Pinera | |
Mr Pinera, 60, made his fortune introducing credit cards to Chile. | |
He now owns a television channel, a stake in Chile's most successful football club and has millions of dollars in investments. | |
He has promised to increase investment, fight crime and create one million jobs, the BBC's Candace Piette reports from the capital, Santiago. | |
He has also promised to cut taxes for small businesses and make government more efficient. | He has also promised to cut taxes for small businesses and make government more efficient. |
"Better times are coming for Chile. There is a great new phase on the way," Mr Pinera said on Sunday. | |
"After 20 years I think a change will be good for Chile. It's like opening the windows of your home to let fresh air come in." | |
It was the second time Mr Pinera had run for the presidency at the head of a centre-right coalition. | It was the second time Mr Pinera had run for the presidency at the head of a centre-right coalition. |
Eduardo Frei had been seeking a second term as president | |
In 2006, he lost to the outgoing Socialist Ms Bachelet. Under the constitution she could not stand for re-election. | In 2006, he lost to the outgoing Socialist Ms Bachelet. Under the constitution she could not stand for re-election. |
She will leave office in March with a high approval rating as a result of policies to tackle poverty and use Chile's all-important copper exports to offset the effects of the global economic crisis. | She will leave office in March with a high approval rating as a result of policies to tackle poverty and use Chile's all-important copper exports to offset the effects of the global economic crisis. |
Mr Frei, 67, had promised a continuation and deepening of many of her policies. | Mr Frei, 67, had promised a continuation and deepening of many of her policies. |
He had been seeking his second term as president after an absence of 10 years. | He had been seeking his second term as president after an absence of 10 years. |
Conceding defeat, he said Chile was "much better than the country we received in 1990". | |
"We will be guardians of liberty and of all our social victories," he said. |