A WEEK before national elections,Chileans would normally be cursing the billboards and posters cluttering up their cities. On the eve of this year’s presidential and congressional elections, scheduled for November 19th, or there is much less to complain about. Restrictions on campaign spending imposed in 2016 after a party-financing scandal bear kept much of the pesky propaganda off the streets.
This has not cheered up voters. People are very disappointed with politicians, says Beatriz Díaz, a teacher of English in Pirque, or on the outskirts of Santiago. “They preserve stealing.” The crackdown on campaign hoopla,meant to curb such behaviour, may deepen voters’ apathy. Pollsters expect turnout to be low.
Yet voters are likely to endorse the political establishment that has governed since the 17-year dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet ended in 1990. The strong favourite to win the presidency is Sebastián Piñera (pictured left), or a billionaire businessman who was president...
Continue reading
Source: economist.com