Chilean Convention concludes its constituent work with low approval

The convention that drafted the new constitution of Chili He finished his work this week with low citizen approval, according to several recent polls, the last one published this Tuesday by the Criteria pollster.

LOOK: Chile already has its new Constitution ready. Now the hardest part begins: approve it

The consultant indicated that 57% of the population disapproves of the work of the convention, which on Monday after a year of work concluded the drafting of a new Magna Carta that will be submitted to a mandatory plebiscite on September 4.

The same survey indicates that only 28% are satisfied with the work of the body, “low approval, but clearly higher than that of other institutions of popular representation such as the Chamber and the Senate,” the report indicated.

Similar figures were found on Monday by the Cadem survey, which indicated that 58% had “little or no” trust in the convention, or the MORI survey, from the Latinobarómetro platform, published last week.

According to this latest survey, 22% said the convention had done its job “well”, 32% said “poorly”, 35% “fair” and 11% did not know.

The convention, which was elected at the polls in May 2021, is the first parity in the world and the only one in the history of Chile with representation of indigenous and progressive peoples with a large number of independents.

Although it started with high expectations, the body has been losing adherents due to internal friction and various scandals that affected a list of independent constituents linked to the 2019 social protests.

FACING THE FINAL PLEBISCITE

The process began in October 2020, when almost 80% of the population voted in favor of a constitutional change in a historic plebiscite.

The final point will be set on September 4 with another referendum that will determine whether Chile keeps the new Magna Carta or whether it maintains the current one, inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) and reformed hundreds of times in democracy.

Although the option of approving the text was the majority for months, in recent months several polls show a greater preference for rejecting the text.

According to Criteria, 48% would vote “reject”, compared to 31% “approve”, and 22% have not yet decided. Cadem was even less optimistic about the new Constitution, giving 51% “rejection” compared to 34% support for the new text and 15% don’t know.

Latinobarómetro gave 35% “rejection”, compared to 31% “approve”, 14% would not vote or would vote white or null, and 16% do not know.

The constituent process was the way out that politics found to deactivate the serious protests for equality that broke out in October 2019, the most serious since the dictatorship, which left thirty people dead and thousands injured.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.