Outsiders Win Primaries Ahead Of Nov Presidential Vote

Two underdog candidates emerged as the presidential nominees for their respective political alliances ahead of the November presidential election, with the outcome of the 18 July primaries likely to soothe market concerns about a major shift in policy direction under the incoming president.

• In the race for the centre-right 'Chile Vamos' alliance nomination, former Minister of Social Development Sebastian Sichel (43) won the nomination with 49.1% of the vote to 31.3% for the opinion polling frontrunner, former Minister of Education Joaquin Lavin (67).
• For the far-left Apruebo Dignidad coalition, member of the Chamber of Deputies and former Student Federation leader Gabriel Boric (35) unexpectedly defeated Communist Party candidate Daniel Jadue (54) by 60.4% to 39.6%.
• The centre-left Constituent Unity alliance has not yet decided on who its presidential nominee will be. Without a single candidate from the bloc, should multiple candidates run in November the centre-left vote will likely be split raising the prospect of a Sichel vs. Boric second round run-off.
• The win for Boric will temper market concerns about a major shift to the left, as seen following the Peruvian presidential election. He is seen as more of a moderate than Jadue, while Sichel - running as an independent aligned with the centre-right, rather than as a party candidate - has advocated reform from within for the Chilean economy as opposed to drastic upheaval.