Chile: Bachelet Looking for Support
Government presidential hopeful Michelle Bachelet is moving toward an agreement with the communists for the second round of election, although slowed by internecine in the ranks of Christian Democracts (DC).

The Communist Party offered an olive branch to the former minister of Defense by vowing their support, which can be crucial in the upcoming tight race, conditional on a "solemn commitment" to meet five important demands by the left.

The most important of these is elimination of the anti-democratic binominal system and its replacement by a proportional, non-discriminatory system, which had already been considered by Bachelet as one of the first measures by her eventual government.

The most difficult demand to be met may be labor reforms because of their impact on the business sector, where Bachelet has been cautious so as not to lose support.

The PC set December 29 as deadline for a concrete public response to their demands as proof of government willingness.

Meanwhile, the situation is complicated due to the Christian Democracy internal battle divided between followers of leader Adolfo Zaldivar and those supporting former Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear.