Christian & Democratic

Shortly before Chile's presidential elections last week, Salvador Allende, the Marxist candidate, received a "good luck" telegram from Joao Goulart, the recently deposed far-leftist President of Brazil. That kind of luck was not what Allende needed. In a striking manifestation of democracy, Chile's voters overwhelmingly rejected Allende, rejected all the talk of Cuban-styled socialism, rejected all the Communists and leftists who supported him. By a vote of about 1,400,000 to 970,000, or 56%, they elected Eduardo Frei, 53, the tall, eloquent Christian Democrat, to be their President for the next six years.

Promise of Revolution. It was supposed to be a close election. The campaign started almost two years ago, and grew louder with each passing month. Having come within 29,000 votes of beating incumbent President Jorge Allessandri in 1958, the demagogic Allende blitzed Chile's poor and unemployed with grand promises of "revolution within the law." "From the south to the north," he cried last week at a rally in Santiago, "there is a rebel attitude that will win our destiny." "And now," shrilled a Communist leader grabbing the microphone, "Cuba will not be alone."

Frei offered no revolutions. The tall, hawk-nosed Senator said he would work for slum redevelopment, tighter regulation of the U.S.-owned copper mines, more diversified industry, land reform --but all within a pro-West, democratic framework. "There is no need to regiment the life of the nation under the iron fist of dictatorship," he said last week. "Much less do we need an ideology that is deeply split between Moscow and Peking."

As election day drew near, most observers favored Frei, expecting him to win by 100,000 to 200,000 votes. Allende's supporters loudly insisted that their man would be elected, promised mass demonstrations "to proclaim our victory." Fearing that the demonstrations might turn into full-scale riots, the government sent troops to guard every polling place.

"President for All." The talk of trouble was merely talk. All remained quiet, and from the start, Chileans made clear their choice. Frei got an estimated 50% of the men's vote, 65% of the women's vote. Barely four hours after the polls closed, Allende was forced to concede defeat.

Thus when he takes office on Nov. 4, Eduardo Frei will become the first Christian Democrat ever to be elected a President in Latin America. Eight years ago, when he founded his party, Frei's Christian Democrats commanded less than 7% of the national vote; last week they won an absolute majority. "This is a victory for Chile," sighed an exhausted Frei. "I want to say that I,will be President for all Chilenos, not just those who voted for me."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.