Chile's Pinera taps center-leftist for defense min

SANTIAGO Feb 9 (Reuters) - Chilean president-elect Sebastian Pinera has chosen a former minister from the rival center-left coalition he defeated as his future defense minister, a party leader from his center-right bloc said on Tuesday.

Conservative billionaire Pinera has named lawyer Jaime Ravinet, who served as defense minister under a previous government of the ruling center-left coalition between 2004-2006, to return to the portfolio, Carlos Larrain, president of the Renovacion Nacional party, said.

Pinera is due to formally unveil his cabinet later on Tuesday. He takes power in March. (Reporting by Simon Gardner, Rodrigo Martinez and Fabian Cambero, editing by Anthony Boadle)