MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean politics reshuffle

Even when Chilean president Ricardo Lagos mandate extends until 2006, several potential candidates to succeed him are lining up, the last of which Minister of Interior Miguel Angel Insulza, better known in Chilean politics as the “panzer”.

"My priority is to continue working with the ministerial cabinet of President Lagos, as long as I have his support I will continue to work with him", underlined Mr. Insulza after having his name removed from the candidacy for Secretary General of the Organization or American States, OAS.

Although Mr. Insulza had the support of crucial countries such as Brazil, Canada and Argentina, the stepping down seems to be closely related to future domestic political aspirations.

Opinion polls in Chile indicate that two ladies, Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear, and Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet have strong support and are considered "presidential". But in a still predominantly men's profession, some Chileans believe the country might not be ready for such a major gender change.

Ms. Alvear belongs to the Christian Democrats and Ms. Bachelet to the Socialist party of president Lagos, the two main groups of the ruling coalition Concertación.

However the picture has other hopefuls: Christian Democrats president Senator Adolfo Zaldívar has his own plans and this include the rising star of another "presidential" minister Jaime Ravinet.

Socialists apparently don't want to be left without other options and the fact that "panzer" Insulza will remain close to President Lagos for the rest of the mandate, and not "exiled" in Washington means he's also "presidential".

But whoever is the candidate of the ruling Concertación they will have a formidable opponent in Santiago's conservative mayor Joaquín Lavín who forced a run off with Mr. Lagos in the last presidential election.

Much however will be conditioned to the results of the coming municipal elections in the second half of 2004 when Chile's main two political groups will gauge their strength. But also inside the ruling coalition, Christian Democrats and Socialists will have a chance to see who has the upper hand in the lasting "marriage" that begun in 1990 when Chile returned to democracy.