President Gabriel Boric has reportedly decided to convey the message of electoral neutrality to his ministers, ahead of the potential primary election within the ruling coalition. This comes after the resignations of Carolina Tohá (PPD) and Jeannette Jara (PC) to pursue presidential candidacies.
According to La Tercera, during the upcoming cabinet meeting, the President will reiterate the stance he expressed when the former Labor Minister Jara stepped down, where he stated that «my candidate is Chile,» without showing preference for any of the current or potential presidential aspirants.
«There has been much speculation about who is the government’s candidate, or mine in particular. Whether it is Carolina Tohá, whether today it is Jeannette (Jara), whether it is Gonzalo Winter, it could be Vlado Mirosevic or Jaime Mulet. (…) I also include, of course, the deputy (Alberto) Undurraga. (…) I want to insist on this: our candidate is Chile. And therefore, what corresponds to me and my ministers in this stage is electoral impartiality and to dedicate all our energies to our government tasks,» Boric said on that occasion.
Nuanced Positions Among Ministers
However, Boric’s stance has shown some nuances through the positions of his ministers. For example, the Defense Minister, Adriana Delpiano, stated that her «greatest dream» is for someone like Tohá to govern Chile.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister, Nicolás Cataldo, opted for transparency by saying that, as a PC militant, his candidate is Jara.
The (s) Government Spokesperson, Aisén Etcheverry, explained that «impartiality does not imply that each of us, in our hearts and in our inner forum, cannot have a candidate. That is the most normal thing in the world.»
Reaction from the Broad Front
According to La Tercera, Boric’s stance on impartiality has not been well received within the Broad Front, from where some expected a public gesture of support for the candidacy of Gonzalo Winter, as he is from the same party as the President.
The article suggests that Boric’s call for ministerial neutrality aims to maintain a balanced approach as the ruling coalition navigates the primary election process, while acknowledging the nuanced positions and personal preferences of individual ministers.
