Back

Weekly Report - 10 January 2008 (ISSN 1741-7422)

CHILE: Concertación loses control of congress

Less than two years ago Adolfo Zaldívar was a key figure within the ruling Concertación. As president of Democracia Cristiana (DC), the largest party in the coalition, Zaldívar proposed the candidacy of Michelle Bachelet. On 27 December he was expelled by the DC disciplinary tribunal for voting against the government's financing proposal for Transantiago, the transport initiative. His expulsion confirmed the loss of the Concertación's majority in the 38-seat Senate: it had 20 seats when Bachelet took office; now it has 18. Five DC deputies loyal to Zaldívar in the 120-seat lower chamber, known as "colorines", quit the DC in protest on 8 January, leaving the Concertación with 57 seats and depriving it of a majority for the first time since the return to democracy. Independents now wield the decisive votes.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 555 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

Back

Articles in this issue