Referendum - Chileans reject new draft constitution
For the second time, Chileans have rejected the proposal for a new constitution in a referendum. While they had rejected a very progressive draft over a year ago, the majority of them also voted against the right-wing opposition's proposal on Sunday.
55.7 percent of voters rejected the draft of the constitutional council dominated by conservative parties, according to the electoral office after more than 95 percent of the votes had been counted. Accordingly, 44.2 percent voted in favor of the new constitution.
Critics - including the left-wing government of the South American country - had complained that the new constitution represented a step backwards in certain fundamental rights. For example, the draft could restrict the right to abortion, enable the immediate expulsion of foreigners and establish tax advantages for homeowners.
Progressive draft went too far for conservative population
It was the second attempt to give Chile a new constitution. Last year, voters had rejected a very progressive draft constitution by a large majority. It would have guaranteed the right to housing, education and health, stipulated a 50 percent quota for women in all state bodies and granted indigenous communities the right to self-determination. This apparently went too far for many people in the conservative country.
The current constitution from 1980 dates back to the time of the military dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet. The tasks of the state are reduced to a minimum and the education, health and pension systems are largely privatized. A new constitution was one of the main demands of the social protests in 2019.
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The rejected draft constitution would have potentially limited certain fundamental rights, such as the right to abortion and the right to self-determination for indigenous communities. Despite the rejection of the progressive constitution last year, the right-wing opposition's proposal also failed in the recent referendum held in Santiago de Chile on Sunday. The current Chilean constitution from 1980, a remnant of the military dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet, is yet to be replaced due to the repeated failure of referendums aimed at drafting a new constitution.
Source: www.stern.de
