MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile: Bachelet leads but Piñera closing in

Chilean presidential Socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet was leading her conservative opponent Sebastián Piñera by more than eight points a week and a half from the runoff, January 15, according to a poll published Wednesday.

The survey carried out in the greater Santiago area with its population of 6 million in the second half of December, shows a 48.7% 9 support for Bachelet who heads the ticket of the ruling coalition and 40% for billionaire businessman Piñera leader of Alliance for Chile.

However 3.7% of interviews said they will not cast ballots for Bachelet or Piñera, and 2.9% anticipated they would vote blank. Another 2% answered they remained undecided and 2.7% refused to answer.

The 1.200 interviews of voting age poll contemplates a margin error of 3% and was carried out by Imaginaciones Consultores research consultant which is closely associated to the Chilean ruling coalition.

However the pollster cautions that as happened in previous elections there's an "element of silence" which can be interpreted as a "hidden" vote for Mr. Piñera oscillating between 3 and 4%.

When asked: "which candidate would you never vote?" the rejection factor was highest for Conservative Mr. Piñera with 49.2% compared to Ms Bachelet's 37.5%.

As to personal attributes Piñera leads in personality and leadership, but Ms Bachelet takes the rest of qualities such as honesty, coherence, dialogue and the capacity to reach agreements talking and listening to people.

In the first round of the presidential election last December 11, Bachelet garnered 46% of the vote and Piñera 25.4%.

Survey results were published on the day Bachelet and Piñera are scheduled to meet Wednesday night in a decisive televised debate, the first and only to be held for the runoff.