(MENAFN) Chile’s presidential contest is set for a Dec. 14 runoff after none of the eight contenders achieved the necessary 50% of ballots to claim an immediate triumph on Sunday.

The upcoming round will feature a showdown between left-leaning frontrunner Jeannette Jara and far-right hopeful Jose Antonio Kast.

Jara, representing the Communist Party, previously served as labor minister in the current progressive administration.

Kast, who leads the Republican Party, is a staunchly conservative attorney and former legislator whose campaign centered on a tough-minded agenda, calling for an “iron fist” to reestablish civic order.

With 83% of votes tallied, preliminary figures indicated Jara in first place with 26.7%, narrowly trailed by Kast at 24.1%.

Though economist Franco Parisi secured third place, only the top two contenders move forward to the final vote.

Both Jara and Kast must now work to appeal to the supporters of the eliminated candidates. This undertaking may prove especially difficult for Jara, as most ballots cast for the ousted contenders leaned toward right-of-center positions.

Jara expressed gratitude to her backers for their dedication in the initial round and encouraged them to spread “a message of hope and the future” as the decisive vote approaches.

Kast addressed his followers accompanied by Evelyn Matthei, who finished fifth with 12.8% of the tally. She promptly conceded and declared her full support for Kast in the forthcoming runoff.

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