Socialist Candidate Favorite in Chilean Race
SANTIAGO, Chile - Chile's next president will likely be a woman, an opinion poll indicated Thursday, showing a strong support among the voters for Michelle Bachelet, a Socialist and former defense and health minister.

Bachelet, 52, has been endorsed by the ruling coalition in her bid to succeed the incumbent, Ricardo Lagos, who cannot seek re-election because Chile's Constitution prohibits a second term.

The poll by the Center for Political Studies showed that 45 percent of the sampled electorate would vote for Bachelet, well ahead of her two right-wing and one leftist rivals.

Trailing Bachelet are millionaire businessman, Joaqin Lavin, who would receive 20 percent of the vote, and former senator, Sebastian Pinera. who would garner 17 percent, according to the poll.

Two percent of the voters would chose Tomas Hirsch, candidate for an alliance that includes the Communist Party.

The sample, taken from Aug. 20 to Sep. 11, polled 1,505 people nationwide and has a 2.7 percent margin of error.

The poll's coordinator, Carolina Segovia, suggested that Bachelet might score a first-round victory if she manages to garner 50 percent plus one vote required for an outright win.

But even if she fails to reach the threshold in the first round, Bachelet is almost certain to defeat any of her rivals in a runoff, the poll also showed.