MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Controversial celebration.

One of the leading opposition members criticized the Chilean government decision to limit celebrations of an October 1988 event that proved a turning point in Chilean history to the parties of the ruling coalition.

"The government, by restricting October 5 celebrations to the ruling Concertación is leaving aside the other half of Chile that believes in democracy and is a strong supporter of democracy", said Sebastián Piñera president of Renovación Nacional one of the leading Conservative opposition groups.

October 5, 1988 the then boastful dictator Augusto Pinochet called a referendum to extend his mandate but shockingly the NO option defeated the official initiative, a turning point in recent Chilean history since the rejection extended to the military.

When the negative results seemed unbeatable the old dictator convened generals, admirals and brigadiers to participate in another coup in an attempt to disregard the polls. However the Air Force, Navy, Carabineros and even some generals closed ranks and insisted in accepting the results of the referendum effectively opening the process for a return to democracy and civilian rule that would take place a couple of years later.

"Of course Concertación made a great contribution to the re-encounter with democracy, there's no doubt about that, but they were not the only ones that on that very day October 5 wanted a return to democracy", said Mr. Piñera who in 1988 in spite of his conservative stance openly questioned the continuation of Mr. Pinochet.

"I recall October 5 with great emotion. It was a great day for democracy, for the country, for the reencounter of Chileans. We were divided, confronted and on October 5 we re-discovered ourselves in democracy, because the Chilean people made a very wise option on that date, that is open the doors for democracy".

Mr. Piñera went on to say that October 5, 1988 "undoubtedly NO was the most direct, shortest and safest route to reach democracy".

"When I ask my right wing friends, hands on their hearts, to look back and honestly tell me what was better for Chile that October, a return to democracy or extend for another eight years a government that had been ruling for 17 years?, overwhelmingly they reply that on October 5 the Chilean people made the right decision".

Some of the more radical groups in the ruling Concertación coalition have rejected the presence in the October celebrations of the opposition, most of them former Pinochet supporters.

Human rights abuses, disappearances and the still strong military presence in Chilean affairs is an ever present rift that maintains the country virtually split in equal halves as shown by electoral results. But similarly for many Chileans Mr. Pinochet saved the country from falling into Socialist-Marxism in the seventies.