Chile electorate poised to install first woman leader

Published on 12/12/2005 01:18

A SOCIALIST physician once imprisoned by Chile's former military dictatorship was the front-runner to become the country's first woman president in a closely-fought vote yesterday.

Polls indicated that Michelle Bachelet, the candidate of the centre-left pro-government coalition, entered the election with a strong lead.

However, she was likely to fall short of the 50 per cent vote needed to avoid a run-off on 15 January against one of two right-wing rivals.

"First round or second round, I am confident we will win," Ms Bachelet, 54, said after casting her vote at a Santiago school.

The turnout was high for the fourth presidential election since Chile restored democracy following the 1973-90 dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.

The successor to the Socialist president, Ricardo Lagos, will be sworn in on 11 March for a four-year term.