[Marxism] Prensa Latina reports on Chilean election campaign

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Road Getting Tougher for Chilean Bachelet

Santiago, Dec 14 (Prensa Latina) Presidential hopeful Michelle
Bachelet is currently facing a dangerous balancing act to check the
escape of conservative votes and gain the necessary support of
progressive forces, both crucial for her to win Chile´s presidency.

On the other hand, confirming his campaign strategy to get closer to
the center, right-wing businessman Sebastian Pinera presented at a
luxurious Santiago hotel on Tuesday what he described as "the new
Christian humanist commando" in charge of working for his candidacy.

The group is made up of current and former members of the Christian
Democracy (DC), the main party within the governing coalition, who
have declared themselves disenchanted with the administration of
President Ricardo Lagos.

The "Christian humanist movement for Pinera" is led by Roberto
Mayorga, a DC militant and former vice president of the Education
Research and Development Center (CIDE).

"Our message is the same because it is absolutely possible for this
alliance to have traditional right-wing forces together with forces
from the center, that is the Christian humanism that is joining our
project," said Pinera.

The businessman, who made millions of dollars by cheap-buying
state-run companies which were privatized by the dictatorship,
attacked Bachelet as he said she "does not represent the best option
for the country."

Meanwhile, the Humanist party, a member of the Juntos Podemos Mas
(Together We Can) pact, said on Tuesday that it will not support
Bachelet, much less Pinera, as "both of them defend" the neoliberal
economic system which has caused so much suffering in Chile.

President of the Humanist Party Efren Osorio ratified the call made on
Sunday by the presidential candidate of the pact Tomas Hirsch to null
the vote in the electoral second round on January 15.

Meanwhile, president of the Communist Party (PC) Guillermo Teillier
urged the Agreement to make their proposals to the country "in a
concrete manner, as no one can believe in promises that may go with
the wind."

Unlike the Humanist, the PC is exploring the possibility to support
Bachelet in the second round, but conditional on an agreement
including fundamental issues for the left, such as reforming the
electoral system, among others.

He strongly denied any talk with the government candidate or her
campaign command on these issues. "There is no dialogue at this point
aimed at an eventual agreement," he said.

In his opinion, Bachelet´s programme is not "concrete" on key issues.
"Let her present it to the country so electors can decide what to do
in the second round," he insisted.

He said neither Bachelet nor the torchbearer of the right Sebastian
Pinera provide any guarantee to solve these problems, so the party is
going to decide the stand to be adopted.

mh/rma/apr
 
Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Communist Vote Vital for Bachelet

Santiago, Chile, Dec 14 (PL) Chilean Communists debate 
on Wednesday should they support government candidate Michel Bachelet in 
the January runoff, amid intensive toils of political parties.       

With over five percent of the vote on the Sunday legislative 
elections and a well-earned reputation for keeping party discipline, the 
communists face a situation similar to that with Ricardo Lagos in 1999.

Their vote now can decide whether the coalition of the 
Concertacion Democratica parties "sits again at the table" they have 
eaten after ex dictator Augusto Pinochet left the presidency in 1990.

The political commission of the Communist Party met on Tuesday 
to draw up a strategy and arrange a meeting with its Central Committee 
to take a stance on the issue that is causing a split among the Chilean 
leftwing.

PC leader Guillermo Teillier called Bachelet to "materialize" 
her electoral campaign promises with formal proposals allowing people to 
choose the best way to take.

"Bachelet should wait for neither support nor rejection of 
those outside leftwing parliamentarians. What she should do is to live 
up to her promises," pointed out Teillier.

"If they want to do something, they must do it directly and 
give it to the people, but concretely, as none will believe in empty 
promises and words," added the PC leader.

He said the Central Committee decision "will focus on a 
position for the country to show voters what the most politically 
convenient is, according to our views."

Independent parties' leaders such as Jorge Pavez, of the 
Teachers' College, asserted the leftwing "must back Bachelet" against 
the possibility of a rightwing administration taking power.

However, the Humanist Party, made up of Junto Podemos Mas, made 
it clear that they would not vote for Bachelet, much less for Sebastian 
Pinera, as both of them defend the neoliberal economic system that has 
largely affected Chile.

On Sunday, its leader Efren Osorio backed presidential 
candidate Tomas Hirsch's call to return blank ballot papers in the 
runoff.

Undoubtedly, the Chilean leftwing has a hard decision to make, 
especially after their traumatic experience when they helped Lagos reach 
the presidency, not because they supported him but to avoid the 
presidential return of followers of ex dictator Augusto Pinochet.    

mh/ecq/apr
       
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