Sebastian Pinera, presidential candidate for Chile's right-wing opposition, took the nation's
presidency with 51.8 percent of the vote in Sunday's second round election.
Eduardo Frei, who represented Chile's ruling left-wing party got only 48.1 percent, according to an official count that covered 60.3 percent of the votes.
The result matches all the pre-election forecasts by media and analysts for a narrow victory by the businessman.
Should the result be confirmed by the full count it will be the first electoral loss for the ruling center-left coalition since Chile returned
to democracy in 1990, and the first electoral victory for a right-wing party in 52 years.