SANTIAGO, CHILE. This Sunday, Chileans rejected with 55% of the vote against the proposal for a new Constitution prepared by the Constitutional Council, with a conservative majority. This was the South American country’s second attempt to draft a Fundamental Charter after the failure of the text of the Constitutional Convention, which was rejected in the September 2022 plebiscite.
The process faced the options in favor, which approved the entry into force of the document, and against, which rejected the initiative and maintained the 1980 Constitution with its multiple reforms applied since the democratic transition. The election was held with compulsory voting.
President Gabriel Boric has managed to stop the new text, but the project for a new fundamental law different from Pinochet’s is shipwrecked and is shelved indefinitely.
The results
With 35,817 tables counted out of a total of 39,728, corresponding to 90.16%, the option against wins the constitutional plebiscite with 6,209,553 votes, equivalent to 55.68%. The one in favor was defeated after adding 4,942,111 votes, equivalent to 44.32%.
The null votes barely reach 3.68%, while the white ones reach 1.30%.
The factors of rejection
The main factors that led to the rejection of the constitutional proposal were the lack of consensus between the different political forces, the complexity of the text and concern about the economic impact it could have.
The Constitutional Council, which drafted the proposal, was made up of 15 members, of which 11 were from the right and 4 from the left. This generated criticism from progressive sectors, who accused the organization of preparing a text that favored the interests of the most conservative sectors.
The text was also criticized for its complexity, which made it difficult for most citizens to understand. In addition, some sectors expressed concern about the economic impact that the proposal could have, which included changes to the pension, education and health systems.
The future of the Constitution
With the rejection of the constitutional proposal, Chile continues with the 1980 Constitution, which was drafted during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. However, President Boric has promised to promote a new constituent process in the coming years.
The president has indicated that the new process must be more inclusive and that it must have the support of all political forces.
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Source: Radio Pauta, AFP, CNN, El País
