Chile's billionaire ex-president Sebastian Pinera is on track to return to office, according to partial results from a runoff election held Sunday.
Electoral authorities said the 68-year-old conservative, who previously ruled 2010-2014, had 54 percent, with nearly half the ballots counted.
That placed him comfortably ahead of leftist challenger Alejandro Guillier, a TV presenter turned senator who ran as anRead more
Billionaire former president Sebastian Pinera will return as Chile's leader next year, according to near-complete official results from a runoff election held Sunday.
Pinera's leftist rival in the race, senator and former TV presenter Alejandro Guillier, recognized his "tough defeat."
Electoral authorities said Pinera won 55 percent of the vote, based on a count of 92 percent of the ballots.Read more
Voting began Sunday in the first round of Chile's presidential election, with former president Sebastian Pinera likely to cement his frontrunner status to succeed Socialist leader Michelle Bachelet.
But it was unclear whether Pinera, a 67-year-old billionaire who was president from 2010-2014, would gain enough support to avoid a runoff against the runner-up -- likely to be Alejandro Guillier, anRead more