MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
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Chilean presidential campaign virtually takes off with reshuffle of cabinet
Allamand and Golborne are the two presidential hopefuls of the Conservative coalition Chilean President Sebastian Piñera shuffled his cabinet to allow ministers with presidential aspirations to leave, as his embattled conservative coalition seeks support before presidential elections in November 2013.
The unpopular Piñera's right-wing bloc suffered a loss in municipal elections last month, which likely accelerated the departure of presidential hopefuls in anticipation of former President Michelle Bachelet return to make a comeback bid.
Public Works Minister Laurence Golborne, a charismatic businessman, and Defence Minister Andres Allamand, a seasoned politician, who are seen as the right's best chance to retain the presidency, both left the government.
”(Golborne and Allamand) are taking up what I see as the most noble of duties, missions and responsibilities that a citizen of our country can undertake: aspiring to the presidency,“ Piñera said at a ceremony to mark the cabinet change. ”Go travel our country, region by region ... to conquer a new majority of Chileans.”
Many Chileans hoped Piñera, a former airline and financial magnate would tackle social inequalities in Chile more effectively than his predecessors, but polls show they are disappointed so far.
Piñera's trusted advisor Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter was appointed Defence Minister, government spokesman Andres Chadwick was named Interior Minister and Santiago's governor Cecilia Perez became spokeswoman. Deputy Public Works Minister Loreto Silva replaced Golborne as minister.
National Heritage minister Catalina Parot also left in Piñera's third sweeping cabinet change, which is not expected to significantly affect policy in the world leading copper producer.
Ms Bachelet who ruled between 2006 and 2010 as head of a centre left catch all coalitions, Concertación, has the best chances of returning to office, according to all public opinion polls.
Although the coalition that supported her lost to Piñera and the Conservatives, she left personally with one of the highest support ratings in recent Chilean democratic history.
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Read all comments...Bachelet... I wonder. Sometimes helpful to have respectively earned the tee-shirt and quietly move on. The Conseratives, it would seem, have some real struggles ahead to retain the presidency.
Nov 06th, 2012 - 09:08 am 0Looking good, if I was a right wing minister I'd stay rather than give it all up for the chance of losing the election for an un-re-electable administration going up against the most popular stateswoman in the country. Interesting no mention is made of the mines minister, I thought he might give it a shot after the rescue that made him briefly famous round the world
Nov 08th, 2012 - 07:02 pm 0The top job is Bachelets if she wants it, it's never been in doubt. Furthermore if she were to promise free university education it would be a landslide.
Nov 09th, 2012 - 09:27 am 0The country could afford it, just barely, only if they cut back on other non essential government spending and lifted taxes a little more. Sadly going back to Bachelet could mean going back to economic stagnation with growth rates of less than 3%. We'll see what the masses decide. That's democracy.
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