Santiago (Reuters) – According to official information, a second draft of a new constitution that is intended to replace the previous one from the time of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1980 has been rejected in Chile.
“The country is polarized and divided,” President Gabriel Boric said in a televised address on Sunday after the vote. According to information from the Electoral Commission on Sunday evening, the rejection of the referendum was 55.76 percent after counting 99.65 percent of the votes. The result shows that the process “could not fulfill the hopes for a new constitution (…),” said Boric. His government will not seek a third overhaul and will push pension and tax reform through the legislature. “What citizens want is a better ability to dialogue, to reach consensus, but above all to act,” said Boric.
It is the second draft constitution within two years that voters have rejected. The process for a new constitution was initiated in 2019 amid large demonstrations against inequality in the country.
The first draft was rejected by a large majority of citizens in September 2022. It was created by elected representatives dominated by left-wing forces. Her text focused on social, indigenous, environmental and gender rights. For the second draft, an assembly dominated by conservative parties was elected. Their text was viewed as more conservative and market-friendly. He focuses on the right to private property and strict rules on immigration and abortion. Surveys had already suggested that this text would also fail. A rejection could be seen as a victory for left-leaning President Gabriel Boric.
(Report by Natalia Ramos, Fabian Cambero and Alexander Villegas. Written by Ralf Bode and Katharina Loesche. If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at [email protected])