Montevideo:
Center-left opposition candidate Yamandou Orsi secured victory with 99% of the vote in the second round of Uruguay’s presidential election, which polling agencies predicted would be a close one, official results revealed on Sunday. It became.
According to the official results, Yamandou Orsi, who was considered the favorite by several points before the election, secured a small but significant margin with 49.81% of the vote, compared to conservative Alvaro Delgado’s 45.90%.
“The horizon is getting brighter,” Orsi said, speaking to thousands of Montevideo Broadfront Party supporters gathered on a stage overlooking the capital’s waterfront to await the results.
“I intend to be the president who repeatedly calls for national dialogue,” he said. “The land of liberty, equality, and fraternity has won once again…Let us continue on that path.”
Mr. Orsi, 57, a former mayor of Canelones, which has attracted companies such as Google, said he would avoid raising taxes that could threaten business and instead seek to attract investors, foster growth and improve the skills of workers. He said he would focus on increasing the
He also signaled closer cooperation with Europe on the fight against drug trafficking and further funding for the prison system.
His victory was celebrated by the regional Organization of American States and Latin American countries across the political aisle.
Delgado and Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, also a member of the People’s Party, quickly acknowledged the election by congratulating Orsi and offering support for the transition, after the results signaled a victory for the centre-left.
The election of two moderates in this small country of 3.4 million people known for its beaches, legalized marijuana and stable environment is a global election in which many elections have been marked by sharp political divisions. It marks the end of a bumper year for the country.
Mr. Orsi, Mr. Delgado and Mr. Lacare Pou all expressed goodwill for their political opponents and vowed to work together to move the country forward.
Unlike the sharp divisions between right and left in recent elections in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, Uruguay’s political scene is relatively less tense, with considerable overlap between the conservative and liberal coalitions vying for power. be.
High costs of living, inequality and violent crime are top concerns for Uruguayans, but inflation has eased in the run-up to the election, and both employment and real salaries are rising.
Orsi, who has pledged a “modern left” policy approach, received 43.9% of the votes from the Broad Front in the first round of voting in October, securing 26.8% but also received support from the conservative Colorado Party. He confronted Mr. Delgado. Together with his National Party, they accounted for almost 42 percent of the vote.
Mr. Orsi sought to reassure Uruguayans that he was not planning a drastic change in policy in the traditionally moderate and relatively wealthy country.
Agustín Rubo, 27, said he felt relieved. “I want to see a fairer, more left-leaning country,” he said.
Ruben Parada, 44, a construction worker from Montevideo, said Orsi’s Broad Front party “doesn’t care much about the rich” and wants to do more to support workers. He said he would vote for.
Conservative Delgado had sought to capitalize on Lacalle Pou’s popularity by urging voters to “re-elect a good government.”
financial success
The ruling coalition has struggled to live up to its record on fighting crime and several corruption scandals, but had hoped its economic success would be enough to persuade voters to choose continuity over change. .
“They’ve done more in five years than Broadfront did in 15 years,” said Jacqueline Freitas, 38, who voted for Delgado in the second round, referring to the construction of a hospital near her home in Montevideo. “It was,” he said.
Neither coalition has an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament after October’s elections. But Orsi’s broad front won 16 of the 30 seats in the Senate. He has said he is in a good position to lead the next government because he has a majority in the Senate.
Sunday’s results confirmed that Uruguay is following a global trend of incumbent parties receiving fewer votes compared to previous elections, as the biggest election year in history draws to a close. Voters hurt by inflation have punished powerful parties in Britain, Japan, the United States and elsewhere.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
