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Main candidates for the presidential elections in Chile determined

Michelle Bachelet and Pablo Longueira will compete for presidence on November 17, 2013
Michelle Bachelet, Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Michelle Bachelet, Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

BUENOS AIRES, July 1. /ITAR-TASS reporter Dmitry Fominykh /. In Chile, for the first time in the history of the country primaries have been conducted: the citizens elected candidates from the main party blocs to participate in the presidential elections to be held on November 17 this year.

Thus, the former president Michelle Bachelet /2006-2010/ will represent leftward forces. According to the intra-party elections held on Sunday, she scored 73 percents of the vote, ahead of her rivals in the New Majority for Chile / Nueva Mayoría para Chile/ leftward coalition. Her candidacy was supported by the Socialists, the Party for Democracy, Left Civic Party and the first time she was also voted by the Communists.

“The current triumph is a victory not only of one person but of millions of Chileans,” said Michelle Bachelet, who until recently served as executive director of the UN Women structure. She stressed that the voice of every citizen will be heard. In particular, the ex-president promises to make advances for pupils and students that on numerous protest actions require free and quality education.

Her main rival from the ruling conservative Alliance for Chile became Pablo Longueira, former economy minister and leader of the Independent Democratic Union. He expressed confidence in his victory in the presidential election. Longueira intends to continue the policy of the current president Sebastián Piñera, who under the constitution cannot run for a second consecutive term.