MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Conservative presidential candidate remains clearly ahead in opinion polls

Piñera, a successful and wealthy businessman could be luckier than in 2005

The latest Centre of Public Studies (CEP) poll, released Thursday, shows Chilean presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera of the conservative Alianza coalition maintains a nine-point lead over Senator Eduardo Frei in a hypothetical first-round presidential election.

Frei, a former president, represents the centre-left governing Concertación coalition which has ruled Chile since the return to democracy in 1990.

While Piñera maintained 37% of the vote he registered in a June CEP poll, former president Frei dropped two points to 28%. Piñera, a wealthy businessman and former senator, narrowly lost the 2005 presidential run-off to current President Michelle Bachelet.

It would appear that support dropped by Frei has been picked up by dark horse candidate Marco Enríquez-Ominami, who gained four points since June to reach 17% in the poll.

MEO, as the press has taken to calling him, is a 36-year-old deputy who left the Socialist Party earlier this year to launch an independent campaign.

Left-wing candidates Adolfo Zaldívar, Jorge Arrate, and Alejandro Navarro all maintained the one percent they achieved in the June poll.

In a run-off scenario, the poll suggests Piñera would beat Frei by 42% to 39%. He could also expect to beat Enríquez-Ominami in a head-to-head: by 44% to 34%.

A win for Sebastián Piñera would be the Alianza’s first since Chile returned to democracy in 1990.

By Chris Noyce - Santiago Times