Right-wing politician Jose Antonio Kast has acknowledged Gabriel Boric’s victory in Chile’s presidential runoff; with almost 69 percent of the ballots counted, Boric, of the "I Approve Dignity" coalition, has 55,18% of the votes and Kast has 44,82%, the Electoral Service said.
Kast has congratulated his rival on the win on his Twitter.
"I just got off the phone with @gabrielboric and I congratulated him on his great triumph. Starting from today, he is [President-Elect] of Chile and deserves all our respect and constructive collaboration. Chile always comes first," Kast tweeted.
In the first round of the presidential election, held in November, Boric got nearly 26 percent, while Kast secured almost 28 percent of the votes.
Chile’s incumbent President Sebastian Pinera is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election. In mid-October, opposition parties in Chile initiated a constitutional impeachment process for Pinera following the publication of documents from the Pandora Papers. However, the Chilean Senate failed to oust him.
Pinera's term in office is due to end in March 2022.