New Constitution in Chile: Voting centers open for the second constituent elections in two years

A total of 2,932 voting centers opened this Sunday in Chili to begin the second constituent elections in two years, in which more than 15.1 million citizens will choose the 50 councilors who will draft a new Magna Carta proposal.

These elections are marked by a lack of citizen interest, unlike the previous effervescent process, which ended on September 4 when 62% of Chileans rejected the first proposed constitutional text in a plebiscite.

LOOK HERE: This is no longer cool. Chronicle of Fernando Vivas with some secrets about Venezuelan migration

Electoral fatigue -since the 2019 protests, Chili has held seven elections – the failure of the previous process and the unprecedented security crisis that the country is going through explain, according to experts, the disaffection towards these elections.

Although it is difficult to make forecasts due to the great apathy and because voting is compulsory – unlike two years ago – there is a consensus that the correlation of forces will be very different from the previous constituent convention, dominated by the left.

The voting centers will be open until 18:00 local time (22:00 GMT) and the first results are expected to be available a couple of hours later.

President gabriel boricwho has been little involved in that election, unlike in the September plebiscite, votes in his native Punta Arenas (extreme south of Chile) and is scheduled to return to Santiago at noon to follow the course of the day from the La Moneda Palace.

Opposition and ruling party, divided

The ruling party comes divided to these elections and competes with two different lists: one made up of the Socialist Party and the most left wing of the Government (broad front and communist party), and another made up of the ruling center-left parties plus the Christian Democracy, which is not properly the opposition but is not a member of the Government either.

The right also arrives divided into three lists: the traditional one of Chile Let’s go (UDI, RN and Evópoli), the far-right of the Republican Party and the populist People’s Party.

One of the keys to the day lies in the seats obtained by these last two formations, which did not participate in the elections two years ago because they were recently created and which have risen a lot in the polls, despite defending the current Magna Carta , in force since the dictatorship (1973-1990).

MORE INFORMATION: IACHR urges Peru and Chile to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants at the border

If the three rights get 30 seats or more, they will have full control of the constituent body and will be able to approve the rules without the need to negotiate.

The great novelty of this second attempt to renew the Constitution It is the participation of a group of 24 experts appointed by Parliament, whose mission is to prepare a draft that will serve as a basis for the 50 councilors (25 men and 25 women) elected at the polls.

Another peculiarity is the existence of 12 basic principles agreed upon a priori by the parties to avoid a refounding proposal like the previous one, which includes the declaration of Chile as a “Social and democratic state of law”, the indivisibility of the “chilean nation” or the bicameral system.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.