Chile elects president in an unprecedented second round due to the confrontation of two totally opposite options, on the one hand, the extreme right Jose Antonio Kast and on the other the leftist Gabriel Boric.
More than 15 million Chileans are called to vote very early for the replacement of the president Sebastian Piñera, who will leave office on March 11, 2022. The first results will be known three hours after the closing of the polling stations.
Analysts believe that, whoever wins, a change will be consolidated in Chile because it is the first time since the return to democracy in 1990 that the presidency is not disputed by the traditional center-left and center-right parties.
The winner of the elections must share power with a Congress that will not be under the control of either the right or the left, so any legislation must have the support of both sides.
In addition, the new president will have to deal with the Constitutional Convention.
In mid-2022, the plebiscite would be held in which the population will approve or reject the text now being drawn up by the 155 members of the Convention, with two different positions in the candidates.
While Boric has announced that he will accompany the process, Kast has shown sympathy with the military regime of Augusto Pinochet, creator of the current Magna Carta.
Political consultant Kenneth Bunker analyzes the situation of both candidates and explains that victory will be for whoever achieves a strategic balance.
“And it is not a question of right and left. There is a mix of everything in the center. Chileans want change, but not at any cost. They want changes with order. More social rights, but gradual, without compromising the economic, social and cultural stability of the country ”, claims.
-In the same style as Peru-
The strong polarization that Chile experiences in this second round is similar to that experienced in Peru just a few months ago, where the anti discourse takes hold.
Rodrigo Espinoza, political scientist at the Diego Portales University, explains to the BBC what is happening in Chile:
“This second round is characterized by anti discourse rather than strengths. The majority would not be voting for entrenched party identity, but for an anti-extreme right and anti-left vote, as happened this year in the election in Peru between Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori “, He said.
Along these lines, the left criticizes the fact that Kast recovers discriminatory policies against minorities and that the State stays away from social problems, while the right fears insecurity, instability and the influence of the Communist Party in Boric’s coalition.
One more symptom that resembles the Chilean election with the Peruvian one, are the recent statements by Kast, who said that he will go to the electoral courts if the result is narrow, which could delay the proclamation of the new president, as happened after Castillo’s victory. .
At the moment, three previous polls, by the Brazilian Atlas, and the Chilean Cadem and Pulso Ciudadano, show a narrow margin between the two candidates, with a small advantage for Boric.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO:
.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
