MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Bachelet returns to Chile for primaries; good chances of becoming opposition presidential candidate
Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet who resigned to her job as the Executive Director of UN Women is to be proclaimed as the leading presidential candidate at the opposition parties primary elections to be held next April 13. She has very good chances of repeating her four year period, according to public opinion polls. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules“Good chances of becoming opposition presidential candidate” says MercoPress
Mar 18th, 2013 - 09:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Good chances”?
You call 100% chances for “Good Chances”
Qué comieron?
Vidrio?
Isn't it nice to see a functional democracy in South America.
Mar 18th, 2013 - 09:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Agreed Frank. Seems to be no desire to change the constitution to preserve power. Nice short 4 year terms and no immediate reelection.
Mar 18th, 2013 - 09:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Part of the reason that Chile is quickly on its way to advanced economy status and its neighbour is slipping slowly down developing economy status.
No matter who wins, they won't steal and rob the taxpayers blind nor embarrass their country as much as CFK has and continues to.
Ladies and Gentlemen.....
Mar 18th, 2013 - 09:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The next president of Chile....
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria....
Comment removed by the editor.
Mar 18th, 2013 - 11:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just give this raving drunk a little extra space when you walk around him. You should be olrite.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 12:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0Considering my city is further south than both Santiago and Buenos Aires..... well the rest of comment 7 really makes no sense anyway.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 01:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0Comment removed by the editor.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 04:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0@4 Don't the people get to vote first?
Mar 19th, 2013 - 11:09 am - Link - Report abuse 0@9 Conqs
Mar 19th, 2013 - 11:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0You should know that isn't exactly the Argentine way.
I welcome Bachelet back. She didn't do a bad job during her 4 years in La Moneda. I am not particularly moved by either of the Alliance candidates, but Piñera has done a good job and his team deserve another 4 years. They made a bad start but improved as the term evolved.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you objectively compare their achievements in office you will see that Piñera achieved much more, with Piñera we had:
- higher growth (5.5% last year)
- lower unemployment
- lower inflation (under 2% last year)
- increased public spending
- increased income (6% average, 25% for lowest decile)
- increased minimum wage
In Bachelet's favor she did spend much more on defense and less on public services than Piñera and that does appeal to my harder instincts.
In the bigger picture, whoever wins we will be just fine. Expect continued stable growth of the economy and improved well being of the population. Left, center or Right the program will continue. Win - Win.
PS: If we get Bachelet back, HidroAysen will go through like a greased pig in a pipe, all couched in the soft language of a mother talking lovingly to her little uns.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mar 19th, 2013 - 03:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Camila Antonia Amaranta Vallejo Dowling
Upcomig MP and….., why not , Minister of Education
http://magazine.liquida.it/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/camila-vallejo-dowling-8.jpg
Children of the social elite always make the best communist dreamers.
Mar 19th, 2013 - 03:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0...but while we are off topic...
I present Pascuala Ilabaca Argandoña:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwQXrZTBXnU
More than makes up for a disappointing Viña this year.
11@ I agree with you about your Piñera´s work at the office....but I can´t agree with you analysys about Bachellet´s.....During her term with a much better world economy, high cooper price, transntiago bus system, tsunami lortal missmanagement, etc, her 4 years result was more than disappointing......which led his coalition to loose the election, fotunately for Chile and Chileans...... So better she stay at any UN works where she can damage our future of development......
Mar 21st, 2013 - 01:38 am - Link - Report abuse 014 Sergio
Mar 21st, 2013 - 03:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I agree with you that the Piñera era has seen much better economic performance than in previous years. But what I am saying about Bachelet (and the Concertación in general) is that they are not so bad. They guided us through 20 years of steady economic growth and got us to the top position in South America for every economic (and most social) indicators - credit must be given for that.
The Concertación have never strayed far from the reforms laid down by Büchi. They continued with the liberalization of the economy, they sought FDI, they pushed for FTA at every opportunity, they ran a fiscal surplus - in most countries these would be the hallmarks of a right wing or neo-con government. This is why it is win - win, we have no effective “left”.
Look at the “leftiest” candidate (I guess he will no longer run now MB is back) Andres Velasques a free-market capitalist who when finance minister in 2006 refused to increase public spending in order to save the copper bonanza for a rainy day...and he was right. The fact that such capitalist fiscal disciplinarians are supported by our “far left” is a cause for celebration - in Chile the left has been utterly defeated.
If the pubic chooses objectively we will get a continuation of the current government. The facts are that compared to 4 years ago we have more jobs, better jobs, lower inflation, more purchasing power, better health, reformed education, higher minimum wage and lower crime - unfortunately objectivity is largely absent from presidential elections.
Whoever wins the next election, the next 4 years will see growth above the regional average and continual social progress. I agree with you about Bachelet's failings, but we are lucky, look at the other leaders around the continent. I would take Bachelet any day before any other South American leader.
Saludos desde la Región Estrella!
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