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DATE=3/23/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-247040 TITLE=CHILE / PINOCHET (L-ONLY) BYLINE=JONATHAN FRANKLIN DATELINE=SANTIAGO, CHILE CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: ANTICIPATION IS BUILDING IN CHILE AS ITS CITIZENS AWAIT BRITAIN'S DECISION WEDNESDAY WETHER TO ALLOW THE EXTRADITION OF FORMER DICTATOR AUGUSTO PINOCHET TO SPAIN TO FACE CHARGES OF COMMITTING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING HIS REGIME. FROM SANTIAGO, JONATHAN FRANKLIN REPORTS AUTHORITIES ARE PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE CLASHES BETWEEN SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE FORMER DICTATOR. TEXT: THE CHILEAN PUBLIC IS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WEDNESDAY'S DECISION AFTER SIX MONTHS OF RAMPANT SPECULATION OVER THE RETIRED GENERAL'S FATE. FEARS ABOUND THAT EITHER WAY THE DECISION GOES THERE WILL BE UNREST -- INCLUDING RIOTING, VANDALISM, AND CLASHES BETWEEN SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF GENERAL PINOCHET. TO PREVENT THIS, CHILE'S NATIONAL POLICE (EDS: CARABINEROS) WILL EFFECTIVELY PARTITION THE CITY OF SANTIAGO IN TWO WEDNESDAY -- SETTING THE EASTERN HALF ASIDE FOR PRO-PINOCHET DEMONSTRATIONS, AND THE WESTERN HALF FOR ANTI-PINOCHET PROTESTS. THESE PREPARATIONS UNDERSCORE WHAT CHILEANS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM ACKNOWLEDGE -- THAT THE FORMER DICTATOR REMAINS A MAJOR POLITICAL FIGURE IN THIS SOUTH AMERICAN NATION. AND HIS FATE IS LIKELY TO HAVE A POLITICAL IMPACT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN LONDON WEDNESDAY. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER BRITISH JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES DECIDE TO LET HIM RETURN HOME OR PERMIT SPAIN'S EXTRADITION REQUEST TO PROCEED, MR. PINOCHET IS NOW FACING LENGTHY LEGAL BATTLES IN BOTH EUROPE AND CHILE. IF MR. PINOCHET IS FORCED TO FACE EXTRADITION TO SPAIN, THAT PROCESS ALONE COULD STRETCH FOR AS MANY AS 11 YEARS. IN CHILE, WHERE THE POSSIBILITY OF MR. PINOCHET BEING HAULED INTO COURT ARE SLIM, THE LEGAL WRANGLINGS WILL CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS THE FORMER GENERAL IS ALIVE. IF MR. PINOCHET IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE ENGLAND, HIS RETURN TO CHILE IS FRAUGHT WITH LOGISTICAL AND LEGAL HURDLES. EVEN GENERAL PINOCHET'S FLIGHT PLAN MUST BE SCRUTINIZED BY LAWYERS. MANY CHILEAN POLITICAL OBSERVERS SPECULATE MR. PINOCHET MAY ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE FRACAS IN SANTIAGO AND SEEK REFUGE IN IQUIQUE, A REMOTE NORTHERN PORT THAT IS HOME TO AN ARMY DIVISION INCLUDING TANKS AND HEAVY ARTILLERY. DURING HIS TENURE AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, MR. PINOCHET FREQUENTLY SENTENCED HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS TO INTERNAL EXILE AND SHIPPED THEM OFF TO THE NORTHERN DESERTS. NOW, THE 83-YEAR OLD GENERAL CAN ONLY WATCH AS RETIRMENT PLANS DISSOVLE AS HIS OPPONENTS CONSTRUCT A LEGAL NOOSE WHICH HAS EFFECTIVELY CONVERTED MR. PINOCHET INTO A PRISONER BOTH ABROAD AND IN HIS OWN COUNTRY. (SIGNED) NEB/JF/ENE/WFR 23-Mar-99 2:58 PM EST (1958 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .