In politics, negotiations and candidates for municipal elections generate great interest, especially in the area of mayors. Having mayors offers parties significant media exposure and a strong presence in public opinion. However, the Republican Party, under the leadership of Arturo Squella, adopts a different strategy for the next elections, according to the latest issue of the +Político newsletter. The counter.
Arturo Squella, president of the Republican Party, confirmed that his priority is to have candidates for councilors in all municipalities. “Yes, indeed, it is essential in our territorial deployment to have at least one councilor in all municipalities, to be able to exercise a republican supervisory role,” said Squella.
Electoral Strategy
Electoral experts support this strategy, pointing out that having representation throughout the country is crucial for the Republican Party, which does not have pacts with other parties or coalitions. By presenting candidates throughout Chile, the party hopes to consolidate itself as the community with the most votes in the election, even if not all of its councilors are elected.
Focus on Regional Governors
Secondly, Squella highlighted the importance of presenting candidates for regional governors, despite widespread criticism about the lack of real power of this position. “The governor is very relevant in the management of resources and the good thing is that in his election there is the possibility of a second round, which favors us. We hope to have the greatest number of candidates for governors,” explained Squella.
Comparison with Marco Enríquez-Ominami
Within the right, there is the opinion that the figure of José Antonio Kast has reached his ceiling and could follow a similar trajectory to that of Marco Enríquez-Ominami (ME-O), whose voting decreased after 2009. However, the Republicans maintain that their case is different, since Kast leads a solid party with representation throughout the country, unlike the instrumental party of ME-O.
Disinterest in Providencia
Regarding the recent statements by Ruth Hurtado, general secretary of the Republican Party, indicating that Jaime Bellolio (UDI) would not be the Republican candidate for Providencia, Squella minimized the matter. “Providencia is not among the communes in which we are interested in competing in the election of mayors,” she assured. From the UDI they confirmed that the Providencia issue has already been resolved.
The Republican Party, under the direction of Arturo Squella, has outlined an electoral strategy that focuses on strengthening its presence at the level of councilors and regional governors. This strategy seeks to consolidate its representation throughout the country. Meanwhile, they leave aside certain specific communes, such as Providencia, in their electoral competition plan.
