Chilean presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera casts his vote at a polling station in Santiago, Chile, Dec. 13, 2009. Chile's general elections kicked off on Sunday morning to choose a new president.
SANTIAGO, Dec. 13 -- Chile's opposition candidate Sabastian Pinera got 44.2 percent of the votes of the general elections on Sunday when 59.9 percent of votes have been counted, according to the first official results.
The candidate of the ruling party Eduardo Frei got 30.5 percent while the independent candidate Marco Enriquez-Ominami 19.3 percent and leftist Jorge Arrate 5.8 percent.
If any candidate achieves the absolute majority of 50 percent plus one vote, the two candidates with more votes, will go for a second round on Jan. 17, 2010.
President Michelle Bachelet after voting said that the elections were held with "tranquillity and order."
Bachelet added that since none of the candidates will get more than 50 percent of the votes, "we all know that there will be a second round."
These elections have been considered the most difficult ones for the ruling party since 1990, when it came to power.
More than 8.285 million Chileans were registered to vote on Sunday at the 34,348 voting tables across the country to choose president, 120 deputies and 18 of the 38 senators to the Congress.
(Xinhua)
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