Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Chileans head to polls to elect new president amid polarization

by Agencies

ISTANBUL Nov 21, 2021 - 5:36 pm GMT+3
A woman casts her ballot during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
A woman casts her ballot during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
by Agencies Nov 21, 2021 5:36 pm
RECOMMENDED
An icy mix covers Highway 114 in Roanoke, Texas. Dallas and other parts of North Texas are under a winter storm warning through Wednesday, Jan.23, 2023. (AP Photo)

Freezing weather cancels flights, leads to death in Texas

US

Chileans were voting for a new president Sunday following a polarizing campaign in which the leading candidates vowed to chart starkly different paths for the region's most economically advanced country staggered by a recent wave of social unrest.

Pre-election polls point to a large number of undecided voters but consistently have favored two of the seven candidates running: former student protest leader Gabriel Boric and his ideological opposite, José Antonio Kast, who has a history of defending Chile's past military dictatorship.

But neither is expected to garner enough support to cross the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff vote next month. Within striking distance of the two frontrunners are center-right candidate Sebastián Sichel and center-left former Education Minister Yasna Provoste. Also up for grabs is Chile's entire 155-seat lower house of Congress and about half the Senate.

Boric, 35, would become Chile's youngest modern president. He was among several student activists elected to Congress in 2014 after leading protests for higher quality education. Running as the head of a broad alliance that includes Chile's Communist Party, if elected he says he will raise taxes on the “super rich” to expand social services and boost protections of the environment.

Chile's Presidential candidate Gabriel Boric holds ballots during the general election in Punta Arenas, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Chile's Presidential candidate Gabriel Boric holds ballots during the general election in Punta Arenas, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

He's also vowed to eliminate the country's private pension system – one of the hallmarks of the free market reforms imposed in the 1980s by Gen. Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.

Centrists, including the candidate from Pinera's party, proved the least popular in opinion polls that also revealed half of the 15 million eligible voters to be undecided.

"I'm going to vote but I am pretty disappointed," said Danilo Panes. The 26-year-old took part in 2019 protests and feels none of the candidates have put forward "alternatives in line with what the people demanded" when they took to the streets.

High inequality

The demonstrators denounced low salaries and pensions, poor public health care and education, and in the words of a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, "persistently high inequality" between rich and poor.

This situation was largely blamed on the Pinochet-era constitution, which pundits say has made the country rich through its promotion of private enterprise in all spheres, but at the expense of the poor and working classes.

Dozens of people died in weeks of protests in 2019 that marked Chile's worst social crisis in decades.

The government finally agreed to a referendum, which one year later saw about 80% of voters give the go-ahead for a new constitution to be drawn up by an elected body.

Voters in May elected a majority of independent candidates, mainly left-leaning, to that body, which has already started drafting the document.

Chileans also vote to replace the 155-member Chamber of Deputies and almost two-thirds of Senators for a new-look Congress that will be in place when the country decides in a mandatory referendum next year whether to adopt the new constitution.

It is not known how, or if, a changed constitution could impact on the terms or powers of the president.

But the fact that Kast and Boric, a former student leader, are the favorites signals an upending of political norms.

Chile presidential candidate of the Partido Republicano Jose Antonio Kast votes in a polling station at the Ana Mogas de Paine high school facilities in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (EPA Photo)
Chile presidential candidate of the Partido Republicano Jose Antonio Kast votes in a polling station at the Ana Mogas de Paine high school facilities in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 21, 2021. (EPA Photo)

"It can be argued that these are the last elections of the old cycle, since they may end with a different result to the ones that came before," University of Santiago political scientist Raul Elgueta told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Also competing are Christian Democrat senator Yasna Provoste, the only candidate who has served in the center-left coalition that ruled for 20 years after the dictatorship; far-left professor Eduardo Artes; and filmmaker and progressive politician Marco Enriquez-Ominami.

'A difficult period'

With his second, non-consecutive term beset by economic and social upheaval, billionaire Pinera approaches the end of his mandate with record-low approval.

The country's economic woes have worsened with the coronavirus epidemic, with unemployment up, inflation at 6% and foreign debt skyrocketing as the demand for social aid and subsidies exploded.

One thing is clear: a large proportion of Chileans want a more interventionist and socially-minded government, better access to public health care and education and changes to the pension system, which is privately administered.

Analysts have also observed a recent rightward swing blamed partly on sometimes violent and arsonist actions by protesters, but also on growing concerns about immigration and crime.

To win in the first round, a candidate must garner 50% of votes cast, but analysts believe the election will likely go to a runoff round between the top two contenders on Dec. 19.

Polls remain open until 6:00 pm (9:00 p.m. GMT), with results expected late Sunday.

RECOMMENDED
An icy mix covers Highway 114 in Roanoke, Texas. Dallas and other parts of North Texas are under a winter storm warning through Wednesday, Jan.23, 2023. (AP Photo)

Freezing weather cancels flights, leads to death in Texas

US
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    chile presidential elections
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A U.S. Air Force airman marshals an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, at the 86th Air Base near Fetesti, Romania, Feb. 17, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye warns of 'price' if US fails to deliver long-sought fighter jets

    F-16-FIGHTER-JETS
    Tourists visit the courtyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque on a sunny day in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 2023. (EPA Photo)

    Türkiye raises bets as foreign arrivals near record, tourism revenues boom

    tourism-in-Türkiye

    Türkiye inks $200M deal with S.Korean firm for parts of MBT Altay

    altay-tank

    Hungary slams Sweden's 'stupidity' on NATO row with Türkiye

    türkiye-hungary-relations
    In photos: Heavy snowfall grips Turkey's Istanbul
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021