MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean rightist opposition sundered

After long supporting economist Joaquín Lavín as its undisputed hope for December's presidential election, Chile's rightwing opposition coalition has split and now has two candidates.

In a surprise move, National Renewal, one of the two parties in the alliance, late on Saturday nominated millionaire businessman Sebastián Piñera as its candidate.

After his nomination, Piñera said he is prepared to accept ??whatever means'' to determine whether he or Lavín will finally be the standard-bearer for the opposition's Alliance for Chile.

??We need a solution handled with respect, in a brotherly manner,'' Piñera said. ??We must work for the unity of our alliance.''

One possibility mentioned by aides to Lavín is holding a primary election, a system already favoured by the ruling centre-left coalition, the Coalition for Democracy, which will vote on Jul. 31st to decide between two female leaders ? Socialist Michelle Bachelet and Christian Democrat Soledad Alvear.

Piñera's nomination comes as a blow to Lavín, who had been uncontested as the opposition candidate since his narrow defeat five years ago by current President Ricardo Lagos.

It also reflects a growing split within the opposition between the more moderate National Renewal Party and Lavín's Independent Democratic Unity, considered by many the political heirs to former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, while Piñera openly opposed Pinochet in the final years of his 1973-90 reigns.

All opinion polls in recent months indicate that both Bachelet and Alvear would easily defeat Lavín in the Dec. 11 election.