Uruguay runoff election: Voters to choose between leftist, rightwing bloc

Leftist confederation of celebrated erstwhile President Jose Mujica hoping to travel backmost to powerfulness aft 5 years of right-wing government.

Voting is nether measurement successful Uruguay’s statesmanlike run-off predetermination pinch nan leftist confederation of celebrated erstwhile President Jose “Pepe” Mujica hoping to travel backmost to powerfulness aft 5 years of right-wing authorities astatine nan helm of nan Latin American nation.

Ballot stations opened astatine 8am (11:00 GMT) and adjacent astatine 7:30pm (22:30 GMT), pinch first results expected 2 hours later.

People successful nan mini federation of 3.4 cardinal person to take betwixt nan leftist Frente Amplio (Broad Front) campaigner Yamandu Orsi and Alvaro Delgado of nan National Party, a personnel of outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou’s centre-right Republican Coalition.

Final sentiment polls suggested nan run-off to beryllium razor-tight, pinch little than 25,000 votes perchance separating nan frontrunners.

Unlike crisp right-left divides successful caller elections successful Argentina, Brazil aliases Mexico, Uruguay’s governmental arena is comparatively tension-free, pinch important overlap betwixt nan blimpish and wide coalitions vying for office, taking immoderate of nan sting retired of Sunday’s last result.

President Luis Lacalle Pou has enjoyed a 50 percent support rating, but nan ruling blimpish conjugation has struggled to take sides its grounds connected crime, contempt presiding complete rising employment and wages.

Orsi, who has pledged a “modern left” argumentation approach, won 43.9 percent of nan October vote for nan Broad Front and will look Delgado, who secured 26.8 percent but besides has nan backing of nan blimpish Colorado Party that together pinch his National Party made up almost 42 percent of votes. The 2 parties did nan aforesaid successful 2019, winning nan election.

No caller pledges

Orsi has sought to reassure Uruguayans that he does not scheme a crisp argumentation displacement successful nan traditionally mean and comparatively able nation.

Delgado, meanwhile, has asked voters to “re-elect a bully government,” seeking to capitalise connected nan fame of President Lacalle Pou, who constitutionally cannot tally for contiguous re-election.

Neither conjugation has an absolute mostly successful nan little location pursuing nan first-round elections successful October. But Orsi’s Broad Front won 16 of 30 Senate seats. He argues his Senate mostly places him successful a amended position to lead nan adjacent government.

Both contenders are hoping to pull nan astir 8 percent of first-round voters who went for smaller, unaligned parties, arsenic good arsenic those who grounded to move retired successful October. But neither has made caller pledges successful nan last weeks to entreaty to them, and pollsters opportunity a televised statement past week appears to person had small effect.

“I don’t cognize who I’m voting for,” said Rosario Gusque, 42, from nan region of Canelones wherever Orsi was antecedently mayor. “Even little truthful aft seeing nan debate.”

One mobility arsenic nan biggest twelvemonth for elections successful history comes to an extremity is whether Uruguay will subordinate a world inclination of incumbent parties losing ballot stock compared pinch nan erstwhile election. Voters wounded by ostentation and precocious surviving costs person punished parties successful power, including successful nan UK, Japan and nan United States.