Santiago, November 16 — Chile is holding the first round of presidential elections. Chileans have cast their votes, seeking a change in government and hoping for unity among candidates. For the first time in the country's history, voting is mandatory in a presidential election. Preliminary results show that the leftist candidate, Jeannette Jara, is leading, but it is unlikely she will secure enough votes to win in the first round. The main question is the stance of the traditional right-wing candidate, Evelyn Matthei, who has yet to reveal her support for the runoff. The most likely scenario is a runoff on December 14, where Jara will face one of the two far-right candidates, Johannes Kaiser or José Antonio Kast. The far-right candidates have already announced their mutual support to oppose the left. "To govern a country, one must have the capacity for agreement," declared former minister Jeannette Jara. "It makes a difference who you vote for," she added. Meanwhile, Johannes Kaiser pledged his support to any candidate opposing the current government. José Antonio Kast also confirmed he would back the candidate not aligned with the government. "Hate, criticism of others, and exacerbating fear are not sufficient to govern a country," he concluded.
