Founded 18 September 1960 Split from Democratic Party Political position Centre | Dissolved 18 May 1999 Headquarters Santiago de Chile | |
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Ideology Social liberalism
Populism | ||
The National Democratic Party (Partido Democrático Nacional), known by its acronym PADENA, was a Chilean political party. It was founded in 1960 by the merger of the Democratic Party, a small faction of the Radical Doctrinal Party, part of the People's National Party (PANAPO), the Democratic Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party.
Contents
History
This party was one of the last political movements linked to the figure of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
It initially participated in the FRAP until Ibáñez' retirement in 1965. The party supported the presidential candidacy of Salvador Allende in 1964, but several parliamentarians withdrew to form the New Democratic Left, which supported Eduardo Frei.
In 1970 the party supported the presidential candidacy of Radomiro Tomic of the Christian Democratic Party in opposition to Allende and Popular Unity. It joined the Confederation of Democracy in 1973.
Refoundation, division and failed legalisation (1983-1999)
After the 1973 coup d'etat, PADENA entered in political recess and some of its members served in public offices during the military dictatorship. It was refounded in 1983, but two factions were created: one led by Luis Minchel, who opposed to the dictatorship, and another led by Apolonides Parra which supported the military regime. Parra's faction in 1984 was part of the Group of Eight and later the National Democratic Agreement.
In 1985 it was one of the signers of the National Agreement for the Transition to Full Democracy. On 31 January 1986 the faction led by Parra constituted the Frente Democrático de Concordia (FREDECO) along with the Social Democracy Party, the Radical Democracy, the Social Christian Movement, the Radical Civic Union, the Social Democratic Labour Movement, the Javiera Carrera Movement and Arturo Matte Civic Center.
In 1988 the faction led by Minchel supported the No option on the national plebiscite, however the Parra faction disagreed Parra and formed the Democratic Party of Chile (PADECH), which supported the Yes option and then dissolved and became part of National Renewal. On 2 February 1988 it was a signer of the statement of formation of the Concertación, but did not get the number of signatures required for its legalisation and was disbanded by the Electoral Service on 12 September of that year.
PADENA emblem was a rectangular white flag with navy blue trim, and in the center of this a red anvil appeared.
In the 1990s there were four attempts to legalize the PADENA again, all without success because the Electoral Service refused registration for failure to comply with the legal requirements within the stipulated time frame:
Presidential candidates
Presidential candidates supported by the National Democratic Party.