Chile's president-elect faces challenges in naming new cabinet

Chile's president-elect Michelle Bachelet is expected to announce her new cabinet by Jan. 27, a task seen by some analysts as quite challenging as she was brought to power by a seven-party coalition. Analysts believed that Bachelet needs to strike a delicate balance while trying to reward the support of the New Majority coalition's members, who come from the Christian Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, the Party for Democracy, the Social Democratic Radical Party, the Communist Party, the Leftist Christian Party and the Broad Social Movement. A team of her advisors would consult the parties before proposing an appropriate number of posts for each party. And the parties have already proposed candidates for some of the top jobs. Bachelet, who will take office on March 14, stressed that her criteria is that the candidates must have the technical training and commitment necessary to carry out her government program. Analysts also predicted that Bachelet's decision-making will probably be guided by a wish to promote gender equality and generational renovation. Bachelet, who served as Chile's president from 2006 to 2010, appointed a large number of women to her previous cabinet. By the time she left office, half of her cabinet members were women. The new cabinet will be charged with forging consensus with opposition legislators, shaping a communication strategy and, most importantly, guaranteeing the resources needed to make constitutional, educational and tax reforms. The most anticipated appointments include the heads of the Interior Ministry, secretariat of the presidency, general secretariat of the government and the Finance Ministry. "We are already working hard to shape the beginning of the government, the projects, the best people, the different activities, so we can begin working with the strength, dynamism and energy the country needs," Bachelet said after winning a runoff election on Dec. 15. It will not be easy for Bachelet's government to reconcile with all the interests within the New Majority, especially with the ongoing disputes in the areas of health and education, and with the Mapuche indigenous groups of the Araucania region. The president-elect now appeared less concerned about the cabinet appointments than she was in 2006, when she was first elected, as she now has a much more defined government program that is backed by the seven parties. A "new political, economic and social cycle" is going to begin in Chile, Bachelet said, and the best way to deliver on that pledge will be to invite the best qualified people to join her cabinet