PC says leftist union can only be achieved with a cohesive presidential campaign

SANTIAGO.- Today, the leader of the Communist Party (PC), Guillermo Teillier, stressed the need for a "unique presidential campaign" that "represents the changes that the Chilean people have undergone", as a "primary condition" for mounting a cohesive leftist campaign to face the 2009 elections.

Teillier explained that his party is currently engaging in conversations with other sectors of the left in order to analyze the possibility of taking only one presidential candidate to the elections and only one list of deputy and senator nominees.

The PC president also stated that his party is open to debate with regards to the manner in which the party candidates will be chosen. "However, one primary condition is that it must be a unified campaign and all candidates must be willing to support whoever is elected", stated Teillier.

In the party leader's opinion, there are "three or four" different leftist movements that are "“willing to reach an agreement for a sole candidate and unified campaign", including his party and the Humanist Party.

Other groups that are allegedly open to the possibility are those led by Senator Alejandro Navarro and former PS minister, Jorge Arrate.