ELECTIONS-URUGUAY: Three Parties Face Tough Fight

MONTEVIDEO, Nov 22 (IPS) - The presidential candidates of Uruguay's three main parties are stalking the votes of the "undecideds" with only five days to what promise to be the closest elections in the history of one of South America's most politicised countries.

The ruling National Party (PN), its traditional rival the Colorado Party (PC) and the leftist coalition Broad Front (FA) - newly expanded to the 'Encuentro Progresista' (EP) - are neck and neck in the polls.

Over the weekend, traffic crawled through the streets of the capital - where 45 percent of the country's 3.1 million inhabitants live - skirting loudspeakers blaring music and people of all ages handing out flyers, waving flags and dancing.

Meanwhile, colorful brigades of young militants trooped door to door handing out ballots while others made thousands of telephone calls seeking votes.

Polls all point to a virtual tie between the two traditional parties, with the EP breathing down their necks.

The PN and PC both received a 30 percent favourable rating in a survey by the 'Cifra' polling company published Sunday by the daily 'El Pais', with the EP just four percentage points behind - for the first time facing a real possibility of governing the nation.

Uruguay's unique voting system - by which each voter must vote one straight list within a party - means the two traditional parties each have several presidential candidates, while the EP united behind its sole candidate, Tabare Vazquez.

"We are one step away from a dream that began in 1971 (with the founding of the FA) and we will give our souls to get there," a member of the EP said.

Even if he fails to win, Vazquez - a reknowned oncologist who has served as Montevideo's popular mayor since 1990 - has built a broader electoral base than the Uruguayan left ever enjoyed, which will be useful for the country's 1999 elections.

While calling for tax, credit and land reforms, the leftist candidate - who belongs to the Socialist Party - has campaigned on the promise that he would attempt to maintain the macroeconomic stability achieved by current President Luis Lacalle.

Recognising that if he wins the presidency his administration will lack a majority in Parliament, Vazquez has said he would put all his initiatives up to popular plebiscites.

The key to the upcoming elections seems to lie with the 150,000 voters who remain undecided for Nov. 27's mandatory vote.

The 40,000 Uruguayans who are expected to travel from their homes in Buenos Aires and other areas of Argentina are also seen as a swing factor, as they have not figured in recent surveys.

Former Colorado President Julio Sanguinetti (1985-89) called on his party's militants to "go out and find" the undecideds.

Meanwhile, polls all point to an undisputed EP victory of Montevideo's city government. The leftist coalition has been comfortably riding a 40 percent favourable rating, against the National Party's 20 percent and the Colorado Party's 18 percent.

According to Interior Minister Angel Gianola, initial election results will be released after 11:30 local time on Sunday night (02:30 GMT on Monday). Voting stations will close at 19:30 local time (22:30 GMT).

A ban on political publicity will go into effect on Thursday night, allowing Uruguayans to quietly reflect on their vote after months of a virtual bombardment of political propaganda.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service