Former president and socialist leader Michelle Bachelet has defeated conservative opponent Evelyn Matthei.
Evelyn Matthei, the presidential candidate of Chile’s ruling conservative coalition, has conceded defeat to former president and socialist leader Michelle Bachelet, according to Chilean TV.
Matthei, an economist and former labour minister, is expected to make a formal concession announcement in the next few minutes, at 2230GMT.
“It was expected that Bachelet would win, but what was not expected was such a low turnout,” reported Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman from Santiago de Chile, the country’s capital.
“Michele Bachelet now has her work cut out for her.”
Sunday’s vote marks the first time in Latin American history that a presidential runoff has taken place between two women.
With 3.7 million votes counted – 70 percent of those cast – Bachelet had a lead of around 62 percent to Matthai’s 37 percent.
A weakened Matthei
Evelyn Matthei had been weakened by her family’s ties to the 1973-1990 military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, and by her post in the unpopular government of outgoing President Sebastian Pinera.
Bachelet was Chile’s first female president, leading the country from 2006-2010.
“I had the honour to be Chile’s first woman president, and it will be great honour once again to be the president of every Chilean man and woman,” Bachelet told cheering supporters at her closing campaign rally Thursday.
More than 13 million Chileans were eligible to vote in Sunday’s election.
But turnout will be another deciding factor since this year will be the first time voting in a presidential election is not mandatory.
