Left leads in Uruguay election

The left-wing coalition, the Broad Front (FA), scored the highest vote in Uruguay's national elections, held on October 31. FA presidential candidate Tabaré Vázquez, of the Socialist Party, won 38.5% of the vote, slightly ahead of pre-election polling predictions. The candidate of the ruling Colorado Party, Jorge Batlle, came second with 31.3%, and the candidate of the National Party came third with 21.3%.

Since none of the candidates won a majority, Vázquez and Batlle will stand against each other in a second round of voting on November 28. The run-off vote had been anticipated, and it is expected that the National Party will throw its support behind Batlle and try to keep the FA out of power.

The FA includes most of Uruguay's left parties, such as the former guerrilla organisation, the National Liberation Movement -- Tupamaros and the more moderate Socialist Party. Vázquez has previously been the FA mayor of the capital city, Montevideo.

FA's platform includes a program of spending US$300 million on job creation and changing the taxation system to exempt those earning less than US$1200 per month while raising taxes on the wealthy.

In Uruguay's two houses of parliament, the FA gained 12 of 30 Senate seats and 40 of 99 seats in the House of Deputies.

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