At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Chile

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar *
• Head of Government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar
• 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.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

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:

• Michelle BACHELET*
  • Coalition: Coalition of Parties for Democracy / Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia
• Sebastian PIÑERA
  • Party: National Renewal / Renovación Nacional (RN)

* The Coalition of Parties for Democracy includes the Christian Democrat Party (PDC), the Party for Democracy (PPD), the Socialist Party (PS), and the Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD). Michelle BACHELET is a member of the Socialist Party (PS).

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Michelle BACHELET*
  • Coalition: Coalition of Parties for Democracy / Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia
• Sebastian PIÑERA
  • Party: National Renewal / Renovación Nacional (RN)
• Joaquin LAVIN
  • Party: Independent Democrat Union / Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI)
• Tomas HIRSCH****
  • Coalition: Together We Can Do More / Pacto Juntos Podemos Más

* The Coalition of Parties for Democracy includes the Christian Democrat Party (PDC), the Party for Democracy (PPD), the Socialist Party (PS), and the Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD). Michelle BACHELET is a member of the Socialist Party (PS).
**** The coalition Together We Can Do More includes the Communist Party of Chile and the Humanist Party. Thomas HIRSCH is a member of the Humanist Party.

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on December 12, 1999, with a runoff election on January 16, 2000. Ricardo LAGOS Escobar was elected president with 51.32% of the vote.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 15,116,435 (December 2005 )
• Registered Voters: 8,220,897 (December 2005 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 8,157,049 (2005)

·         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: 18 (Chamber of Deputies); 2 (Senate) (following 2005 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: 2,267,465 (est.)