[News] Uruguay elects first leftist leader

Mon Nov 1 11:10:24 EST 2004

Uruguay elects first leftist leader

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Reuters) -- Uruguay has made a historic political 
shift in electing its first leftist president, Tabare Vazquez, and giving 
his coalition a majority in Congress to face rebuilding the country after 
its recent economic crisis.

With nearly all votes tallied Monday morning, the charismatic 64-year-old 
doctor had 50.7 percent of the vote, slightly more than the 50 percent plus 
one vote needed to win in first-round balloting.

The Electoral Court said it could not confirm the winner Monday because 
30,000 votes had yet to be counted, but the left and analysts continued to 
work on the assumption of a Vazquez victory.

Although Vazquez won by a lower margin than expected in this third run for 
the presidency, it was enough to ensure he would be able to govern. Vazquez 
declared himself winner a few hours after compulsory voting ended in the 
nation of 3.4 million, and his two challengers conceded.

"We will begin to work in the morning on the political transition because 
there is no time to lose," Vazquez told supporters who embraced his call 
for wider distribution of wealth and social justice.

Uruguay joins the ranks of South American nations -- Brazil, Argentina, 
Chile and Venezuela -- that have chosen left-leaning leaders on platforms 
of alleviating poverty following a decade of U.S.-backed free-market 
policies that often ended in economic chaos.

Vazquez's 33-year-old Broad Front coalition -- including Socialists, 
Communists, Social Democrats and a hugely popular former guerrilla movement 
-- also secured majorities in both houses of Congress.

A pivotal contribution to Vazquez's victory was made by former guerrilla 
leader Jose Mujica, who won more votes than any other senator and whose 
Popular Participation Movement, built on the remnants of the Tupamaro 
guerrilla movement, garnered more votes than any other party.

"I think this is the beginning of a cycle of the left in power for 10 years 
or more," said political scientist Gustavo de Armas.

Vazquez will be sworn in March 1 to a five-year term. Re-election of 
presidents is not permitted in Uruguay.

Young Uruguayans who saw their career options evaporate in recent years 
reveled late into the night on Montevideo's main avenue singing "You see, 
Tabare is now president."

The election marked a radical departure from the last 170 years of rule by 
the the two traditional parties, the Colorados and Blancos, blamed for 
aggravating the 1999-2003 recession and destroying the social safety net 
envied by the rest of Latin America.

Center-right National Party, or Blanco, candidate Jorge Larranaga had 34.3 
percent of the vote, while Guillermo Stirling of the centrist ruling 
Colorado Party trailed with 10.4 percent. Both conceded and ruled out a runoff.

Focus on growth

Uruguay's economy is growing again, but the recession left one-third of 
Uruguayans below the poverty line and forced 100,000 mostly young people to 
emigrate.

Vazquez, a cancer specialist who plans to keep seeing patients each week, 
said his first priority will be to tackle "the social emergency" of 100,000 
indigent people. More jobs and social services for the rest of the 
population will take time due to lack of public funds.

"Tabare will probably need two years to create jobs. I hope to get a 
factory job," said Fabiana Carretto, 37, an unemployed single mother of three.

Indeed, the new government is betting on fresh investment to rebuild 
industry in addition to ranching and banking. Taking a page from the book 
of the market-friendly leftist Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da 
Silva, Vazquez has told investors there will be no upheaval and Uruguay 
will honor its $11 billion in foreign debt.

"The cornerstone to reducing our vulnerability is growth. There is no other 
way," said Danilo Astori, a market favorite Vazquez has tapped for economy 
minister in his Cabinet.

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