News Categories Political News ENRIQUEZ-OMINAMI SURGING IN CHILEAN POLLS
| ENRIQUEZ-OMINAMI SURGING IN CHILEAN POLLS |
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| Written by Benjamin Witte | |
| Wednesday, 03 June 2009 | |
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PS Deputy Overtakes Frei In Latest Survey The research firm also posed an “open question,” asking people to name any candidate of their choosing. Respondents again showed a preference for Piñera, who drew 31 percent compared to 15 percent for Frei and 13 percent for Enriquez-Ominami. TNS Time based its latest poll on 330 telephone interviews conducted between May 4 and May 30. The poll suggests that Enriquez-Ominami, who two months ago barely registered in national surveys, may well have a legitimate shot at the presidency. At the very least, his surging numbers are shaking up what until recently looked to be a two-man race between veteran political leaders Piñera, a wealthy businessman and former senator, and Frei, a senator and former president (1994-2000). “The Concertación should take note. This candidacy is here to stay,” said Enriquez-Ominami after learning of the TNS Time poll. Piñera, a member of the center-right National Renovation (RN) party, represents the conservative Alliance for Chile coalition, which also includes the hard-right Independent Democratic Union (UDI) party. He has been largely unopposed within the Alliance since losing to President Michelle Bachelet in the 2006 runoff election. Chile’s other principal political coalition, the Concertación, is throwing its considerable weight behind Frei, a member of the Christian Democratic (DC) party. The Concertacíon represents the DC, the Party for Democracy (PPD), the Socialist Party (PS), and Radical Party (PRSD). The coalition, formed at the tail end of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973-1990), has won every presidential election since Chile’s return to democracy. President Bachelet, a member of the PS, has also endorsed Frei. Enriquez-Ominami’s position vis-à-vis the political establishment is still unclear. While calling for a sea change in Chilean politics, the young deputy is – unlike candidates Zaldivar, Arrate and Navarro who all officially split from the Concertacíon – still a member of the PS. But because his party has already endorsed Frei, Enriquez-Ominami will have to participate in the December election as an independent. To accomplish that he must first collect 36,000 signatures from registered, non-affiliated voters. “I think that in today’s world, people are tired of older politicians that have already had their failures and successes,” Enriquez-Ominami told the Santiago Times in a recent interview. “I would say that Chileans, just like Americans, are asking for more authenticity from their leaders.” Frei, who stands to lose the most from Enriquez-Ominami’s rising popularity, did his best to downplay the TNS Time findings. “No poll is going to make me change course or affect my work in the streets of Chile,” he said. Piñera, on the other hand, acknowledged the gains being made by Enriquez-Ominami but dismissed the idea that the PS deputy represents real change for Chile. “Dep. Enriquez-Ominami has significant support and should have a right to participate,” he said. “But he and Sen. Eduardo Frei are part of the same Concertacíon that has already run the government for 20 years. I think Chile needs a change.” Piñera, who has led opinion polls from the outset of the presidential race, also enjoys slightly more media coverage than his rivals, TNS Time’s vice president, Eduardo Albornoz, revealed this week. Citing a study by Conecta, Albornoz explained that approximately 70 percent of the stories written or aired about the billionaire politician are “neutral” while 15 percent are favorable. In comparison, 65 percent of stories about Frei are neutral and 9 percent are favorable. Unlike members of the two dominant coalitions, Chile’s far-left candidates are granted extremely limited media coverage, the study pointed out. That has not, however, been the case for Enriquez-Ominami, despite his willingness to back progressive causes normally associated with the country’s left-wing fringe. The deputy, for example, supports gay marriage and abortion and opposes the HidroAysén dam project (PT, May 19). Rather than shun the upstart candidate, the media cannot seem to get enough of Enriquez-Ominami, whose show business background, celebrity wife (television host Karen Doggenweiler) and well-known biography (he is the son of slain Chilean revolutionary Miguel Enríquez) certainly do not hurt his marketability. By Benjamin Witte ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 June 2009 ) |
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