Credit:Flag courtesy of ITA’s Flags of All Countries used with permission.

Election Date: January 14, 2006

At stake: President, National Assembly

Background

Over the course of the past 25 years, Chile has been able to leave a brutal dictatorship behind to become Latin America's fastest growing economy and one of the most stable countries in South America.

In 1946, Gabriel González Videla—a member of the democratic-leftist Popular Front (FP) coalition—was elected president. González Videla governed with the support of the country's Communist Party, until the political organization was banned in 1948.

González Videla endeavoured to achieve economic stability and better labour laws. His policies continued in the 1950s and 1960s under two other FP presidents—Carlos Ibáñez del Campo and Jorge Alessandri—who faced high inflation rates.

In 1964, the Christian-Democratic Party (PDC) won the presidency with Eduardo Frei Montalva. A year later, the Christian Democrats secured a majority in the 1965 congressional elections.

Frei Montalva introduced amendments to labour legislation, pursuing land reform and the "Chileanization" program, which sought to implement tight controls over United States companies that exploited copper mines in the country.

In 1970, Salvador Allende won the presidential election, representing an alliance of socialist and communist political organizations known as Popular Unity (UP). Allende—the first democratically elected Marxist president in the world—enhanced nationalization programs, and fostered social and land reforms.

Chile continued to face high inflation rates during Allende's tenure, and some basic products became scarce. The president faced violent demonstrations organized by his opponents, as well as increasing tension within the military.

On Sept. 11, 1973, Augusto Pinochet and the Chilean army took over in a violent coup, where Allende died. The alleged involvement of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has long been controversial. Official documents declassified in the 1990s demonstrated that the U.S. government had planned to overthrow Allende shortly after he became president.

Pinochet—who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990—remains the most controversial figure in the South American country's history. During his tenure, thousands of Chileans were assassinated, arrested or expelled from the country. Pinochet abolished all political parties, and curbed civil and human rights.

Under Pinochet, the Chilean economy depended heavily on foreign loans and copper exports. Unemployment remained the biggest problem, and recession was inevitable in 1981.

In 1988, Pinochet was defeated in a nationwide referendum on whether he should remain as Chile's head of state. A year later, Chileans picked Patricio Aylwin Azócar—a PDC member and leader of a 17-party centre-left alliance—in democratic presidential elections. The military-drafted constitution allowed Pinochet to remain as the commander-in-chief of the Chilean armed forces.

The Christian Democrats and their partners have remained strong in Chilean politics ever since. In 1994, Eduardo Frei Ruiz—the son of Frei Montalva—won the presidency. Foreign investment allowed the domestic economy to flourish all through the 1990s.

In March 1998, Pinochet retired form the army and became a senator for life. In October, he was arrested in Britain, following a warrant issued in Spain in connection with the torture of 94 Spanish citizens during his dictatorship. Following a 16-month legal battle, Britain's home secretary Jack Straw ruled that Pinochet was not mentally fit to face trial. In March 2000, the former ruler returned to Chile.

In January 2000, Ricardo Lagos of the Agreement of Parties for Democracy (CPD) narrowly won the presidential election in a run-off over Joaquín Lavín of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).

Chile's economy remained stable during Lagos' tenure, and the president introduced a wide-ranging plan to deal with the depressing legacy of the Pinochet regime, authorizing monthly pension payments of $190 U.S. to more than 28,000 people who were tortured during the dictatorship.

In December 2004, judge Juan Guzmán announced that Pinochet would face trial for human rights abuses. Pinochet's indictment focuses on the kidnapping of nine dissidents and the murder of one of them.

In March 2005, a U.S. Senate report revealed that Pinochet had hidden $13 million U.S in 125 foreign bank accounts. In June, a court ruled that the former dictator is not mentally fit to stand trial for the so-called Operation Condor—a violent campaign against political opponents in which at least six South American leaders were allegedly involved during the 1970s.

2005 Presidential and National Assembly Election

Chile is usually regarded as a conservative country. The right to file for divorce was enacted in 2004, and only four per cent of all current senators are women.

Since early 2005, single-mother Michelle Bachelet—a former defence minister and a member of the Socialist Party (PS)—has been the top presidential hopeful in the country.

Bachelet is the daughter of an air force general who was executed after opposing dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s. Chile has never had a female head of state.

The Agreement of Parties for Democracy (CPD) coalition—which includes the PS, the Christian-Democratic Party of Chile (PDC), the Party for Democracy (PD) and the Radical Social-Democratic Party (PRSD)—was expected to hold a presidential primary on Jul. 31. On May 25, former foreign minister Soledad Alvear of the PDC withdrew from the race, allowing Bachelet to secure the nomination.

On May 14, the centre-right National Renewal (RN) announced the candidacy of businessman Sebastián Piñera. RN was part of the right-wing Alliance for Chile (APC) in the 2000 election. Former Santiago mayor Joaquín Lavín will represent the Democratic Independent Union (UDI) again. Tomás Hirsch, a member of the leftist Humanist Party (PH), will contend under the Together We Can (JP) banner.

On May 18, an entire company of soldiers went missing during a snowstorm in the Andes. At least 44 soldiers—most of them teenage conscripts—were found dead. All presidential candidates have said they will ban mandatory military service under their mandate.

In May, Lavín urged Bachelet to participate in a series of early debates. The former defence minister has ruled out taking part in any public meetings with other candidates before Sept. 12, when the final presidential nominations will be ratified. Socialist senator Jaime Gazmuri justified Bachelet's rationale, saying, "Candidates who are behind always want to hold as many debates as possible, but we will not give in."

On Jun. 20, Alvear announced she would seek a Senate seat in the East Santiago district. Christian Democrat senator Jorge Lavandero and his secretary Juan Carlos Espinoza were found guilty of sexual abuse against four minors. Lavandero was later expelled form the party.

Pinochet was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Jun. 20, and was released three days later.

On Jun. 23, Chile's Chamber of Deputies authorized launching an investigation into a series of government contracts after a 48-47 vote. A special inquiry commission will review the dealings between the Public Works Ministry and consulting firm Gescam, co-owned by Hernán Durán—the brother-in-law of current president Ricardo Lagos.

June polls by Opina/El Mercurio, Ipsos, Time Research, Benchmark and Gemines placed Bachelet as the clear frontrunner, garnering anywhere from 36.2 per cent to 49 per cent of the vote in the first round. The CPD candidate would defeat either Lavín or Piñera in run-off scenarios.

In July, the National Congress unanimously approved a series of constitutional amendments. The reforms include allowing the president to designate the chief of the armed forces, abolishing senators for life, and reducing the presidential term from six to four years. Lagos said the amendments "show that Chileans can give priority to the best interest of the country."

On Jul. 31, the CPD officially selected Bachelet as the centre-left candidate. Bachelet accepted the nomination, declaring, "Today we continue to demonstrate the vast difference between the CPD and the right. The right started out with one candidate and ended up with two. We speak of the unity of the nation; the opposition speaks to itself, trying to explain why formerly they were an alliance and today they are split parties."

On Aug. 1, Chile's Supreme Court ruled that former Lagos chief of staff Matías de la Fuente will stand trial on tax fraud charges. The prosecution alleges that de la Fuente falsified documents in public works contracts in order to increase the salaries of government workers. The Chilean president called his former chief of staff "a great collaborator" but offered no comment on the charges.

July polls from the Centro de Estudios Públicos, Benchmark, Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Contemporánea and Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo put support for Bachelet from a low of 39 per cent to a high of 47 per cent. The CPD candidate maintained her advantage over either of the right-centre nominees in run-off scenarios.

On Aug. 9, Bachelet said Chile's centre-right parties "are not a solid option that guarantees good governance." On Aug. 10, Lavín declared, "Whenever people ask (Bachelet) something, she says she'll look into it. Governance means having a clear idea of what someone's going to do."

On Sept. 1, Lagos expressed confidence in a victory for Bachelet, saying, "The CPD governments had to heal the wounds left by the (Augusto Pinochet) dictatorship. The best example of this profound change is that quite possibly a woman will be elected president."

Bachelet's campaign manager Ricardo Solari said voting intention polls show "a good result (...) but we must not be complacent, as we have not yet guaranteed a victory in the first round." Piñera said the two centre-right candidates are "within 10 points of Michelle Bachelet, so our duty for the next three months is to make a run-off viable."

On Sept. 25, Piñera said he would be the best choice for centre-right voters, saying, "Lavín has gone through a constant drop in support." Lavín criticized the RN nominee, saying, "He tried to run in 1993 and in 1999, and it did not work out. If we discuss how long we have been campaigning, this is only my second try, but in fact it's his third."

Polls conducted in August and September by Universidad Diego Portales, Ipsos, Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo, MORI and Centro de Estudios Públicos kept Bachelet as the frontrunner with anywhere from 39 per cent to 49 per cent of the vote, followed by Lavín and Piñera.

On Oct. 27, Bachelet vowed to implement a better Social Security system in the South American nation, saying, "I can commit to an effective reform that would allow for a better pension system, and a more dignified retirement." José Piñera—who served as labour minister during the military government and devised Chile's current pension system—criticized the presidential candidates for their proposals on the issue, calling them "unreserved demagoguery."

In early November, Lagos urged Chilean citizens to "provide continuity" to the projects of the CPD in the election. RN senator Alberto Espina severely criticized the president's statement, saying, "It is both a mistake and a sign of abuse for the head of state to say his high approval rating will be reflected in Bachelet's supposed victory."

A November poll by Centro de Estudios Públicos put support for Bachelet at 39 per cent, followed by Piñera with 22 per cent, Lavín with 21 per cent, and Hirsch with three per cent. Lavín said the poll's results reflect "that the so-called Bachelet phenomenon is over" and that a run-off "is now inevitable."

Three polls released in late November and early December suggested a run-off. A survey by Fundación Chile 21 put Bachelet in first place with 47 per cent, followed by Piñera with 27 per cent, Lavín with 21 per cent, and Hirsch with four per cent.

A poll by Ipsos had Bachelet ahead with 38 per cent, followed by Piñera with 22 per cent, Lavín with 16 per cent, and Hirsch with eight per cent.

A survey by Benchmark—conducted in the Santiago Metropolitan area—found Bachelet on top with 39 per cent, followed by Lavín with 22 per cent, Piñera with 20 per cent, and Hirsch with six per cent.

The two centre-right candidates reacted differently to the latest numbers. Piñera said the two participants of an eventual second round "have been selected—Michelle Bachelet and myself. What happens then is an open book." Lavín said he was "absolutely certain that I will make it to the run-off, and we will quiet all these polls that are appearing at the eleventh hour."

A poll by CERC gave Bachelet 41 per cent, with Piñera in second place with 22 per cent, and Lavín third with 19 per cent.

On Dec. 8 at her final campaign event, Bachelet declared, "The key to our future is in our hands, and together we will win on the first round." For his part, Lavín read a copy of the current president's 2000 campaign pamphlet and asked his followers, "If Ricardo Lagos could not create more jobs, do you think Michelle Bachelet is going to create them?"

Voting took place on Dec. 11. Preliminary reports gave Bachelet 46 per cent of all cast ballots, followed by Piñera with 25 per cent, and Lavín with 23 per cent. Bachelet said she would "work harder" to get her message to voters, while Piñera said the ballot was the "first step" in changing Chile's history.

The CPD secured 65 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and won 11 of the 19 Senate seats at stake. The run-off between Bachelet and Piñera was scheduled for Jan. 15, 2006.

On Dec. 19, the two remaining candidates agreed to cease all personal attacks during the campaign, after meeting separately with Santiago archbishop Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa.

On Jan. 4, 2006, Lagos—a PS member—criticized Piñera, declaring, "I am upset about demagoguery being used in electoral periods for the sake of a few votes."

Also on Jan. 4, Bachelet and Piñera participated in their third and final televised debate. Piñera accused the PS candidate of being "uninformed" about the country's problems, while Bachelet said the RN contender is not a "good listener." Polls by Datavoz and Opina put support for Bachelet at more than 40 per cent.

Piñera has suggested granting a special recognition to Chile's indigenous groups. Lagos dismissed his suggestion as a campaign ploy, adding, "Every time this project has been tabled in the legislative branch, the opposition has voted against it."

For his part, Piñera criticized the president, saying, "Chileans are free to choose, and the intervention and pressure that we have seen constitutes an attack."

The last voting intention poll published during the campaign had Bachelet ahead with 45 per cent, followed by Piñera with 40 per cent.

The run-off took place on Jan. 15. Official results gave Bachelet 53.49 per cent of the vote, with Piñera finisihing in second place with 46.51 per cent.

The 54-year-old Bachelet celebrated the outcome, declaring, "Who would have said, 10, 15 years ago that a woman would be elected president!"

On Mar. 11, Bachelet officially became president. The Chilean cabinet has 10 male and 10 female ministers.

Political Players

President: Michelle Bachelet - CPD

The president is elected to a four-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Congreso Nacional (National Congress) has two chambers. The Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) has 120 members elected to four-year terms in two-seat constituencies. The Senado de la República (Senate of the Republic) has 48 members; 38 members are elected to eight-year terms in two-seat constituencies, with half of the seats renewed every four years. The Senate also has 10 appointed members.

Results of Last Election:

President - Dec. 11, 2005, and Jan. 15, 2006

National Congress - Dec. 11, 2005

Archive Search

Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Election Tracker archive.