MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Opinion poll confirms November run off for Uruguay’s presidential election

Mujica and Lacalle, the two leading candidates for the coming presidential election.

Uruguay’s ruling coalition has a ten point lead for October’s presidential election with 44% of the vote followed by the main opposition National party with 34%. However if the tendency is confirmed, a run off is inevitable in November according to Equipo Mori pollsters.

“If these percentages are sustained we will have a run off” between the Broad Front candidate Jose Mujica and Luis Alberto Lacalle from the National Party, said Ignacio Zuásnabar from Mori Equipos.

Under the Uruguayan ballotage system if no candidate garners 50% plus one vote in October, four weeks later a run off takes place between the two most voted presidential hopefuls.

The opinion poll also showed that in a run off scenario, Mujica would collect 46% of the vote and Lacalle 45%, with 4% undecided and 5% who anticipated they would vote blank.

“It’s a hyper-competitive scenario with a technical tie”, added Zuasnabar.

The Mori poll released this week completes the preference scenario with the Colorado party that is expected to collect 11% of the vote and the Independent party, 1%.

The Broad Front ticket has as vice-president hopeful former Economy minister Danilo Astori and the National Party, Senator Jorge Larrañaga. The Colorado ticket is made up of Pedro Bordaberry, a former Tourism minister and farmer, and soccer star Hugo De león.

Five years ago the Broad Front coalition managed with President Tabare Vazquez to scrape through in October with 50.9% of the vote, avoiding the November run-off and ensuring control of Parliament and the Executive.

Earlier this week another pollster, Cifra, also indicated that if the current vote intention is confirmed there would be a run-off in November between Mujica and Lacalle. According to Cifra the Broad Front has a vote intention of 44%, the National Party 36% and the Colorado Party, 10%.