Chileans Say No to Extreme Conservative Constitution
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES – It was take-two for an attempt to replace the Pinochet era constitution, a demand that came out of the massive 2019 protests. A highly progressive first go was also rejected by voters back in late 2022. Now the entire process seems doomed as the population has other priorities.
Sunday’s vote was similar in percentages to the presidencial elections of 2021 that brought the former student leader Gabriel Boric to power. Boric himself had supported the progressive draft in 2022 but stayed out of the fray on the second draft. However, the different parties and civic organizations that supported his election spearheaded a NO vote on a constitution that would have given even more priority to big agriculture and mining interests over environmental concerns and the population’s access to water. Likewise, it would have meant backtracking on women’s rights and other social issues.
With 99.65% of ballot boxes tallied, a total of 55.76% Chileans rejected the new text spearheaded by the far right led by Jose Antonio Kast, while 44.24% voted in favor of it. When Boric was elected in 2021 he received 55.87% of the votes compared to candidate Jose Antonio Kast who received 44.13%, an almost identical result.
Nonetheless, in November 2022 the highly progressive first draft for a new constitution, supported by Boric, was defeated 62% to 38%. The first assembly elected to draft a new text was dominated by leftwing forces including many civil society organizations. The resulting text focused on social, indigenous, environmental and gender rights. But that text was overwhelmingly defeated.
The electorate swung right for the second draft and voters elected an assembly dominated by conservative parties who drafted a text even more favorable to big business interests than the existing Pinochet era constitution.
“The country got polarized, divided,” President Gabriel Boric said during a televised address, adding that the result shows the process “didn’t channel the hopes of having a new constitution written by everyone, reported Reuters.
Boric reiterated his government wouldn’t pursue a third rewrite and would move forward with pension and tax reform through the legislature.
“What the citizenry is demanding is a better capacity for dialogue, of consensus, but most of all action,” Boric said.
Many Chileans have voiced mistrust and disenchantment with the process after years of polarization and political infighting, noted Reuters.
We will have more analysis on the vote in the coming days.