Chilean Government, First Anniversary
President Michelle Bachelet finished her first year in office with achievements that keep her in an acceptable level of people's approval, but also with many open political fronts that predict a complex 2007.

In the last 12 months, the government maintained its popularity despite persistent problems like the starting of a new transportation system in the capital and the opposition's constant critics, according to surveys.

The day before her first year in office's Anniversary, she called on government leaders to keep the unity and persist in the support of her government.

In a Socialist Party (PS) meeting she talked about the need to "work all together, in teams, with our people".

"We are going to overcome the obstacles and challenges before us. We are in government to try to solve the problems" she said.

For the President of the Communist Party of Chile, Guillermo Teillier, however, the Bachelet government "lost the political initiative a few months after holding office."

In spite of describing it as "a neoliberal government", he said that even thus "it had the perspective of some inclusion for trade union and social institutions that are representative of popular sectors.

The time has come to either carry out the important political and social commitments, with the participation of wide social sectors, or be a continuity government which stays true to the neoliberalist model, commented Teillier.

Discontent, he said, is bashing the neoliberal system, going against institutions and right wing forces are founders of that system. The people is wary of being excluded, he said.