Chilean citizens reject constitutional amendments in referendum for the second time
Kyiv • UNN
The citizens of Chile rejected the draft of the new Basic Law in a referendum. 56% voted against the proposal to replace the 1980 constitution adopted during the Pinochet dictatorship.
In a referendum in Chilean citizens rejected the draft of a new Basic Law, which was intended to replace the constitution introduced in 1980 during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. This was reported by UNN with reference to France24.
Details
Almost 56% of of Chileans opposed the constitutional amendments, while 44% voted in favor. This is is the second attempt in recent years to introduce a new set of laws.
The process of rewriting the 1980 constitution adopted during the military dictatorship of of Augusto Pinochet, began as an attempt to quell the 2019 mass protests against social inequality. against social inequality.
One of the demands of the of the protesters, including many students with left-wing views, was the development of a new constitution that would guarantee greater state control over the provision of basic services to citizens. On October 25, 2020, Chile held a a referendum in which almost 80% of citizens voted to change the country's basic law. of citizens voted in favor of changing the country's basic law.
In the referendum on September 4 September 2022, 61.86% of Chileans voted against the approval of the draft constitution. of Chileans voted against the draft constitution, while 38.14% were in favor. According to experts, the socially oriented document was considered too radical by voters. In particular, it proposed to enshrine the right to environmental protection and the right to abortion at will.
The new project was developed by an expert commission elected by the parliament. It is believed that the majority of the of the seats on the commission were won by conservative supporters. As in the previous draft, the new document defines Chile as a "social and democratic state based on the rule of law." However, this version states that social rights can be provided not only by the state but also by private institutions. Indigenous peoples are recognized as part of the one and indivisible Chilean nation, the state undertakes to respect and promote their individual and collective rights, however, compared to the first draft, the clause on their mandatory representation in the parliament was excluded. mandatory representation in parliament.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric has already publicly stated that if this draft constitution is also rejected in a referendum, he would not insist on a new one.
