MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile's presidential race is on.

In what is seen as the start of the ruling coalition presidential primary, Chilean president Ricardo Lagos this week reshuffled the cabinet leaving out four ministers, two of which lead the opinion polls as his potential successors in March 2006.

The outgoing ministers are two ladies who held key posts, Michelle Bachelet in Defence and Soledad Alvear, Foreign Affairs. Both will also be replaced this Friday by heavyweights: in Foreign Affairs Ignacio Walker an outstanding political scientist who has held high ranking jobs since the return of Chile to democracy and was recently named Ambassador in Italy, and in Defence Jaime Ravinet for ten years Mayor of Santiago and currently Housing and Urban Development minister.

In an official release President Lagos praised the outgoing ministers for their excellent work, dedication and loyalty, "but given the electoral climate in the country, they have been exposed to unjustifiable attacks and situations that do not respond to what Chile needs and threaten the good functioning of the government and state".

Mr. Lagos was actually referring to this October's municipal elections which will anyhow help to calibre the strength of different forces in the ruling coalition with eyes set on the November 2005 general election.

This is the sixth cabinet reshuffle of Mr. Lagos since taking office March 2000.

Ms. Alvear and Ms. Bachelet lead the public opinion polls as presidential hopefuls together with the powerful right wing opposition leader and Mayor of Santiago Joaquin Lavin who forced a second round in December 1999 and lost by a minimum margin to Mr. Lagos.

"Clearly it's an electoral move that does not solve the country's problems", remarked Mr. Lavin, adding that president Lagos wasted an excellent opportunity to name a new cabinet to address Chile's main challenges, unemployment and crime.

"It was like telling the girls (Ms. Bachelet and Ms. Alvear), OK now get on with your (electoral) campaigns", highlighted with irony Mr. Lavin.