MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lagos launches Chile's 2005 presidential race.

Chile's ruling coalition Concertación, won this Sunday's municipal elections and although it failed in its attempt to hoist the main trophy, Santiago which remains under opposition control, President Ricardo Lagos described the victory as an anticipation of the 2005 presidential elections.

"This victory guarantees that a man or a woman from Concertación must rule the country as of March 2006", said President Lagos addressing a crowd of followers who gathered in Government House, Santiago.

"We've had an extraordinary number of mayors elected and an equally high number of Councillors from Concertación have also been chosen", added Mr. Lagos.

Concertación which has ruled Chile since recovering democracy in 1990 obtained 44,76% of the vote for mayors while the opposition Alliance for Chile, APC, reached 38.66%, according to the latest releases from the Interior Ministry.

Concertación Councillors totalled 48,01% of the votes while the main opposition reached 37.73%..

However the conservative opposition remained in control of Santiago, the country's most important municipality. Jorge Schaulsohn was defeated by Raul Alcaino, a close aid of the current mayor Joaquín Lavin and the leading opposition presidential candidate whom opinion polls give him an excellent chance of becoming Mr. Lagos successor.

"We've won the mother of all battles", said Mr. Lavín addressing a crowd from Town Hall in Santiago, "and this in spite of the constant interfering of the central government and of President Lagos".

Following the results of the municipal elections former Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet, the coalition's frontrunner presidential wishful, announced Sunday evening she was prepared to participate in the Concertación's primary for the nomination of the official candidate.

Another potential candidate for the ruling coalition presidential nominee former Foreign Affairs minister Soledad Alvear also present at the victory celebrations in Government House said "this is the first great defeat of Mayor Lavin; today is a day of joy and celebration".

Ms. Alvear indicated that in spite of keeping hold over Santiago, Mr. Lavin's party Independent Democratic Union, UDI, actually obtained its worst result in several elections and "this means greater strength and unity for the parties that make up Concertación".

Split up by different parties, UDI received 20,79% of the votes cast; Christian Democrats 20,76%; the Conservative National Renovation 16,79%; Socialist party 10,95% and the Social Democratic Party for Democracy 10,01% with other parties including the communists and the Radicals receiving less than 5% each.

President Lagos in Punta Arenas.

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos is expected next Tuesday in Punta Arenas where he will be signing several public works projects involving an estimated 60 million US dollars.

The outstanding project is the building of a new regional hospital which is to be financed by the central and regional governments, and is part of a long term project to make Magallanes Region a medical centre. Magallanes University is also opening a Medicine School to provide the local expanded hospital with the necessary professional staff.

President Lagos will also be present to well wish the Chilean expedition that will attempt to reach the South Pole by land.