MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan president to be decided in run-off at the end of November

Jose Pepe Mujica, the incumbent and most voted of presidential candidates.

A run off at the end of November was the result of Sunday’s presidential election in Uruguay since no candidate managed 50% plus one of the votes, as had been anticipated by most pollsters.

The ruling coalition candidate Jose Pepe Mujica and runner up Luis Alberto Lacalle, Cuqui, still have a month of intense campaigning ahead of them until November 28th.

Estimates at mid night Sunday indicate that the Broad Front and incumbent candidate Mujica garnered between 47 and 49% of the vote; the National party 30/32%; the junior opposition Colorado party 16/18% and the Independents 2/3%.

Following on these results the run off could prove even closer and more nerve wrecking than Sunday’s results.

“The voters are demanding from us a further effort, that is to participate in a second round”, said Mujica on learning the first results of Sunday’s election. However the incumbent candidate said that a projection of the results could be indicating that “the coalition could very well again confirm a parliamentary majority”.

“We’re accustomed to electoral disputes, so we are ready for the second round”, said runner up Lacalle from the headquarters of his National party.

“We are going to ask from our militants a further effort because that is what the Uruguayan people have asked for”, added Mujica before a huge crowd that had gathered to celebrate what at the beginning seemed a first round victory.

“I’m sure all Uruguayans are going to show that wonderful tolerance spirit we’ve seen today and during the weeks of campaigning”, underlined Mujica.

Uruguay’s Minister of Interior reported no incidents during Election day and international observers praised the organizations of the polls and democratic spirit of voters that queued naturally at the booths for their turn.

Even when voting in Uruguay is compulsory, turnout was above 90%.

Pollsters pointed out that both the Broad Front and the National party lost votes compared to five years ago while the Colorado party almost doubled its support.

“Apparently the Colorados have managed to renew and are more in harmony with a more modern and tolerant Uruguay”, said Oscar Bottinelli from pollster Factum.

“The National Party has been unable to attract other sectors of voters, which the Colorado party effectively managed”, added Bottinelli.

He also pointed out the mismatch between “approval ratings for outgoing President Tabare Vazquez, in the sixty points, and the Sunday vote”.

A big surprise on Sunday, which was poorly anticipated by the opinion polls, were the results of the two referendums, one rejecting an amnesty bill for military and police personnel presumably involved in human rights abuses during the military dictatorship (1973/1985) , and another granting consular vote to Uruguayans living overseas.

Both are controversial issues for Uruguayan public opinion.

The “amnesty bill” which is really the Uruguayan state decision’s to drop claims against human rights abuses (denial of prosecution) was approved in 1986 to match a 1985 amnesty granted to urban guerrillas and other groups which appealed to violence to bring down the government. The 1986 bill was ratified in 1989 by a referendum.

As to the consular vote, which could benefit up to 10% of the Uruguayan population living overseas is also controversial since a majority feel it is not fair for those overseas to decide on affairs directly influencing residents.

Although many are political refuges from the time of the dictatorship, many more are “economic refuges”, who migrated looking for better living conditions.