Chile opposition right presidency lead narrows-poll

SANTIAGO, June 18 (Reuters) - Chilean billionaire and conservative presidential favorite Sebastian Pinera's lead has narrowed over the ruling center-left coalition's candidate ahead of December's election, a new poll showed on Thursday.

The survey by CEP, or Center for Public Studies, regarded as Chile's benchmark poll, said Pinera of the opposition Renovacion Nacional party would win 37 percent of the vote if an election were held this Sunday, compared to 41 percent in its last poll in late December.

That is well short of the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off in an election six months away. Former president Eduardo Frei, who governed the ruling center-left coalition from 1994 to 2000, polled 30 percent, down from 31 percent in the previous CEP poll. Former film producer and left-leaning independent Marco Enriquez-Ominami, polled third with 13 percent. (Reporting by Rodrigo Martinez, Writing by Simon Gardner, Editing by Sandra Maler)