The reason was basically a national outrage due the currency devaluation in the previous administration. The trend has been broken in this 1998 election campaign. It looks like n even chance for any of the major candidates in this election to win the presidential race and that's what makes competition among them tougher.
Competition is the key for any market behaves in favor of the consumer rather than in the producers.
The only political reform I can foresee is the election of the members of the parliament by name rather than by list. You empower the people to make their own choices towards greater prosperity. Under the current system you make them dependent. Hugo Faria and Alejandro Sucre are also as economic advisers to Irene Saez Conde , although she has not mentioned them as part of her government program. Nevertheless, if she wants to take the lead again and to do better than she is currently doing, she must make full use of, in my opinion, her best economic advisers.