The three main presidential candidates for Uruguay's Sunday 26 October election closed their campaigns on Thursday evening with three huge political rallies that gathered thousands of militants and put an end to months of travel, speeches, flesh pressing and baby kissing, in what could prove to be the tightest race in recent years.
The last round of public opinion polls in anticipation of Uruguay's Sunday general election (Executive and legislative), released on Wednesday evening by the main television channels, shows that the next government will not enjoy a majority in congress and there will be a presidential runoff at the end of November.
Uruguay is less than four days away from Sunday 26 October general election with opinion polls unable to forecast a clear winner, and a strong possibility that the left wing coalition could lose its legislative majority enjoyed in the last ten years and even the Executive.
Uruguay's general elections next Sunday are not only a neck-to-neck dispute between the two main presidential candidates, (unpredictable only six months ago), but are also revealing that the ruling coalition has lost its dominant allure over new voters, according to pollsters.
The strong economy and the good image of the incumbent presidential candidate Tabare Vazquez are not sufficient for Uruguay's ruling coalition Broad Front to ensure a third consecutive mandate next Sunday 26 October, according to the country's main pollsters, who underlined that the election result at this stage is too close and 'unpredictable'.
A run off in November to elect Uruguay's president seems most certain because none of the two leading candidates will manage a majority in the first round on 26 October, according to the latest public opinion poll.
With less than four weeks to 26 October presidential election in Uruguay, the leading candidates are in a neck to neck race, which will demand a run off at the end of November with the result is too close to call, although two of the latest opinion polls believe that the ruling coalition could still scratch through.
With less than fifty days to national elections when Uruguayans will vote for president and a new parliament (26 October), public opinion polls indicate that the ruling coalition until a few months ago the undisputed winner, faces a runoff and whoever wins will have to rule with a divided legislative.
Uruguay's ruling coalition and the main opposition National party have finally worked out their presidential tickets for October's general election, following on the results, and subsequent negotiations, of the June first primary elections.
Yet more surprises from last Sunday's primaries in Uruguay to choose candidates for the October presidential election. Not only did the main opposition vote overwhelmingly for renewal, but now it has emerged that in the ruling coalition, which suffers from a generation of Jurassic leaders, a young challenger has emerged as the most voted and is now demanding a place in the presidential ticket.