Chile: A Mandate to Serve

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The term of the present Congress runs until May 21, and Frei plans to resubmit some of his programs, hoping that the legislators have got the message. After his own Congress takes over, Frei will face the considerable task of turning his campaign promises into reality. The spirit in which he will go about that effort was evident as he spoke to a singing and cheering crowd of 5,000 people who gathered outside Santiago's La Moneda presidential palace to celebrate his triumph.

"No words," said President Frei, "could better sum up the impression of this night than your voices shouting 'Viva Chile! Viva Chile!' We accept this mandate as a great call to responsibility. The party that triumphed is great, but we must never forget that Chile is greater still, and that the government, political parties and men do not exist to serve one government or one man. Rather they exist to serve the country and all Chileans."