The days before Uruguay runoff The scenario was one of total uncertainty. The pollsters assured that the definition between the candidate of the Frente Amplio, Yamandu Orsiand the official Alvaro Delgado It would be very close, the result was expected to be known late at night or even only known with the vote count during the week. But none of that happened and Sunday was, rather, a short night.
A few minutes before 8:30 p.m., when the electoral ban is lifted and the results can be known, the celebrations began at the Frente Amplio command. And, at that time, the pollsters confirmed on the television channels that the difference in favor of Orsi was undiscountable. Uruguay had, early on, an elected president.
Orsi obtained 49.84% of the votes over the 45.86% of the votes that Delgado garnered, according to the first count.
The work of the pollsters has such confidence that it was not necessary to wait for the advance of the primary scrutiny of the Electoral Court for Orsi to be greeted as president-elect. And less than an hour after the first projections were known, the president Luis Lacalle For he wrote his congratulations on the social network. In his message, the head of state put himself at the service of begin the transition when his successor “understands it is appropriate.”
This stage will begin on the afternoon of this Monday, when Orsi is expected to visit Lacalle Pou at the Executive Tower.as reported by local media. In turn, the president arranged for a meeting of his Council of Ministers to facilitate the transition to the new government, reported The Observer.
But this will not be the first meeting that the president will have.: At mid-morning he will visit his political reference, former president José Mujica, at his farm in Rincón del Cerro.
Orsi, a history professor who was mayor of Canelones for 10 years, became President with the support of Mujica as his main political support. The historic leader of the Frente Amplio, however, was not at the command to celebrate, but they did speak on the phone. his wife, Lucía Topolanskyconfirmed it to The Daily. The former vice president interpreted that Orsi’s victory was due to having proposed a “very open” campaign in which “he always had a message of inclusion.”
Now the definition of the Orsi government’s cabinet begins. During the electoral campaign, the now president-elect only confirmed the designation of Gabriel Oddone as Minister of Economy. He is an economist with leftist ideas, who has frequent dialogue with the business community and is resisted by some sectors of the Frente Amplio. Until he retired at the age of 60, he was one of the main partners of the consulting firm CPA Ferrere. He has a doctorate in economics and has been a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, CAF-Development Bank for Latin America and the Latin American Development Program.
Orsi had to announce Oddone at a time of uncertainty in the electoral campaign towards October. At that time, the country was also discussing a social security plebiscite that proposed eliminating private pension funds and generated risks for the markets. With his appointment, Orsi sought to bring peace of mind to investors.
Another name that sounds strong to join the Executive Branch is that of Orsi’s campaign manager, Alejandro Sánchezwho would be the next secretary of the Presidency (a figure similar to that of a chief of staff). two weeks ago, Search reported that the Diego Canepapro-secretary of the Presidency of the Mujica government (2010-2015) is one of the names that He handles himself as chancellor.
The truth is that this Monday the teams that will lead the transition from the Lacalle Pou government to that of Orsi will begin to form. The vice president-elect, Carolina Cossesaid that During the day there will be informal talks to outline the left cabinetreported The Daily. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Executive Secretariat of the Frente Amplio is scheduled for Tuesday to advance these definitions.
