CHILEAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OPINE ON

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000716 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CI SUBJECT: CHILEAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OPINE ON PRESIDENTIAL RACE, BACHELET'S PERFORMANCE, AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Bachelet administration has failed to address income inequality, outspoken Senate President Adolfo Zaldivar told the Ambassador July 30. Zaldivar also hinted at his own presidential ambitions. In a separate meeting, Chamber of Deputies Acting President Guillermo Ceroni said that the lower house will focus on a variety of transparency measures. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Ambassador, accompanied by E/Pol Counselor, Political Officer, and E/Pol Specialist, met with congressional leaders in Valparaiso on July 30. These meetings were held in conjunction with discussions with members of the Senate Energy and Mining Committee, which will be reported septel. Colorful Senate President Hints at Presidential Ambitions -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Senate President Adolfo Zaldivar is an outspoken figure recently expelled from the Christian Democratic party because he claimed publicly it is rife with corruption. Zaldivar criticized the Bachelet administration and hinted at his own presidential ambitions during a courtesy call with the Ambassador. Wealth has more quickly concentrated in the hands of a few under the 18 years of the Concertacion alliance than under Pinochet's rule, he charged, adding that Concertacion was pushing people towards "Chavismo." The senator was pessimistic about the prospects of accomplishing significant legislative change during Bachelet's remaining term, but noted that Congress had already tackled "most of the important laws" including pension reform legislation. Zaldivar also said he recently formed a political party and had received applications from 500 potential candidates to run for municipal positions. (Note: Zaldivar and his followers recently became the driving force in a small political party known as the Regional Independent Party, which they joined after the Christian Democrats expelled Zaldivar.) When asked about a recent poll showing opposition politician Sebastian Pinera as winning in a match up with any other figure, Zaldivar coyly asked, "But why didn't the CEP (pollsters) ask about me?" He went on to assert that all five leading presidential contenders were "basically the same." Chamber of Deputies to Focus on Transparency -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador also met with Deputy Guillermo Ceroni, Acting President of the Chamber of Deputies. (Note: Chamber of Deputies President Juan Bustos has been hospitalized for more than a week with pneumonia. Staffers described the 72-year-old's condition as grave, and noted that his immune system has likely been compromised by liver cancer. End Note.) Ceroni, a member of the center-left Party for Democracy (PPD),said that the Chamber plans to take up a series of measures intended to promote transparency, including new electoral regulations, freedom of information laws, restrictions on state interventions in political campaigns, and the establishment of a tax court. Turning to the 2009 presidential election, Ceroni said it was impossible to say who would win, but noted that Pinera's lead may be fleeting as Concertacion has not yet coalesced behind a single candidate. Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Senate President Zaldivar lived up to his reputation as a loose cannon; his remark about his presidential ambitions underscoring that his personality and ambitions are just as colorful as the red hair ("colorin") his group of political supporters ("colorines") is named for. It seems unlikely that he would actually enter the presidential race, and even less likely that he would do well if he did enter. Nonetheless, as a wild card, the possibility can not be dismissed. Ceroni's analysis of Pinera's lead makes sense: once Concertacion coalesces around a candidate, he or she is likely to pick up additional public support. End Comment. SIMONS