Uruguayan general election, 2009

Uruguayan general election, 2009

October 25 and November 29, 2009

Nominee José Mujica Luis Alberto Lacalle Party Broad Front National Party Running mate Danilo Astori Jorge Larrañaga Popular vote 1,197,638 994,510 Percentage 54.63% 45.37%

President before election Tabaré Vázquez Broad Front Elected President José Mujica Broad Front

General elections for President and Parliament took place in Uruguay on 25 October and 29 November 2009. In parliamentary election results, the Broad Front (left-wing coalition) emerged the winner, electing 16 senators and 50 deputies, while the National Party elected 9 senators and 30 deputies, the Colorado Party 5 Senators and 17 Deputies, and the Independent Party 2 deputies.

In the presidential contest, the first round of voting produced no majority winner, with José Mujica of the incumbent Broad Front receiving 48% of the vote and Luis Alberto Lacalle of the National Party 29%. In the runoff, Mujica handily defeated Lacalle to win the presidency.

Two ballot referendums failed. One would have revoked a previously granted amnesty and the other would have permitted absentee ballots.

Presidential elections

Primaries

Primaries were held on 28 June 2009. Three parties had several contenders:

• Broad Front
  • José Mujica (Espacio 609, Communist Party of Uruguay (Partido Comunista del Uruguay), Corriente Acción y Pensamiento Libertad) – winner
  • Danilo Astori (Uruguay Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay)), Alianza Progresista, Nuevo Espacio (New Space), Socialist Party of Uruguay (Partido Socialista)
  • Marcos Carámbula (Vertiente Artiguista (Artiguistan Slope))

• National Party
  • Luis Alberto Lacalle (Unidad Nacional, Soplan Vientos Nuevos) – winner
  • Jorge Larrañaga (Alianza Nacional (National Alliance of Uruguay), Civic Union)
  • Irineu Riet Correa

• Colorado Party
  • Pedro Bordaberry (Vamos Uruguay (Let's Go, Uruguay)) – winner
  • José Amorín (Batllismo Siglo XXI)
  • Luis Hierro López (Foro Batllista)
  • Daniel Lamas

• Independent Party
  • Pablo Mieres

• Popular Assembly
  • Raúl Rodríguez

Results

The Uruguayan constitution requires a presidential candidate to obtain over 50% of the votes. As Mujica received 48% of the initial vote, a run-off was held on 29 November. In the runoff round, Mujica easily defeated Lacalle, 53% to 43%, to win the Presidency.

Analysts indicated that Mujica won largely because of the popularity of the Broad Front and incumbent President Tabaré Vázquez's pro-business policies that strengthened the country's economy. After taking office in 2005, Vazquez cut the unemployment rate from 12.3 to 7.3 percent, encouraged trade and foreign investment, increased wages and social spending, and boosted the central bank reserves and the country's credit rating.

The Broad Front retained a majority in parliament with 15 senators (plus Danilo Astori, later elected vice-president and thus president of the General Assembly) out of a total of 30 and 50 deputies out of a total of 99. The National Party came in second with 9 senators and 30 deputies. Both parties lost votes and legislative seats in comparison with 2004. The historically dominant Colorado made gains and increased its representation to 5 senators and 17 deputies. Finally, the Independent Party did not achieve its main goal of winning a seat in the Senate, but obtained 2 seats in the lower chamber.

Pedro Bordaberry led the Colorado Party to a notable electoral recovery, practically doubling its votes cast in 2004. The Independent Party, with candidates Pablo Mieres and Iván Posada, gained an additional seat in the Chamber of Deputies. Popular Assembly, a small, new extreme left party, did not win much support.

Party	Presidential candidate	First round		Second round		Seats
		Votes	%	Votes	%	Chamber	+/–	Senate	+/–
Broad Front	José Mujica	1,105,262	49.34	1,197,638	54.63	50	–3	16	–1
National Party	Luis Alberto Lacalle	669,942	29.90	994,510	45.37	30	–4	9	–1
Colorado Party	Pedro Bordaberry	392,307	17.51			17	+7	5	+2
Independent Party	Pablo Mieres	57,360	2.56			2	0	0	0
Popular Assembly	Raúl Rodríguez	15,428	0.69			0	New	0	New
Invalid/blank votes		64,387	–	93,810	–	–	–	–	–
Total		2,304,686	100	2,285,958	100	99	0	30	0
Source: Corte Electoral

Referendums

Two referendums were on the ballot. One would have removed the Law on the Expiration of the Punitive Claims of the State, which granted amnesty for human rights abuses under the 1973–85 dictatorship, during the presidencies of Juan María Bordaberry, Alberto Demicheli, Aparicio Méndez, and Gregorio Álvarez. The other was to enable mail-in votes by citizens living outside Uruguay. Both referenda failed, the first obtaining 47.3% of votes and the second only 36.9%

Uruguayan amnesty revocation referendum, 2009
Choice	Votes	%
No	1,212,477	52.64
Yes	1,090,859	47.36
Total votes	2,303,336	100.00
Registered voters and turnout	2,562,589	89.86

Uruguayan voting from abroad referendum, 2009
Choice	Votes	%
No	1,452,645	63.07
Yes	850,691	36.93
Total votes	2,303,336	100.00
Registered voters and turnout	2,562,589	89.86