At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Chile

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle
• Head of Government: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle
• Assembly: Chile has a bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 48 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) with 120 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the Senate (Senado), 38 members are elected by popular vote to serve 8-year terms and 10 members are designated *. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) 120 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

* One-half of the members in the Senate are elected every four years.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

• Ricardo LAGOS*
  • Party: Partido por la Democracía / (PPD)
• Joaquín LAVÍN**
  • Alliance: Alianza por Chile

* The PPD is supported by the Socialist, Christian Democrat, and Radical Parties.
** This also includes the Unión Democrata Independiente and Renovación Nacional.

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Ricardo LAGOS*
  • Party: Partido por la Democracía (PPD)
• Joaquín LAVÍN**
  • Alliance: Alianza por Chile
• Gladys MARÍN***
  • Party: Communist Party
• Other Candidates
  • Party: N/A

* The PPD is supported by the Socialist, Christian Democrat, and Radical Parties.
** Alianza por Chile includes the Unión Democrata Independiente and Renovación Nacional.
*** The Communist Party was eliminated from the second round.

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential Election were last held on December 11, 1993. President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle received 58% of the vote, defeating Arturo ALESSANDRI who received 24.4%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 14,973,843 (July 1999 )
• Registered Voters: 8,084,476 (December 1999 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 7,687,443 (1999)

·         Is Chile a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Chile ratified CEDAW: Yes (7 December 1989)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 13 (Chamber of Deputies); 2 (Senate) (following 1997 parliamentary election)

·         Human Development Index Position: 42 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A 

Disability Data:

·         Is Chile a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Chile ratified CRPD: Yes (29 July 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 2,246,076 (est.)