Chileans say goodbye to constitution inherited from Pinochet dictatorship

Polling station in Santiago, May 16, 2021. AFP - RODRIGO ARANGUA

Text by: Justine Fontaine Follow

4 min

In Chile, an assembly of unprecedented social, cultural and political diversity will be responsible for drafting a new Constitution, to replace the current text, inherited from the dictatorship of General Pinochet.

In the elections held this weekend, the Chileans turned their backs on traditional political parties and elected a large number of independent candidates. 

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From our correspondent in Santiago de Chile

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In the lively pedestrian streets of the center of the capital, the voters who mobilized this weekend are rather smiling. Daniela, 28, is happy to see that more than a third of elected officials are not affiliated with any political party: “

I voted for independents, so that those who will write the new Constitution are people who live the same. reality than us. We hope that the voice of the people will be heard

”.

Daniela is not the only one who does not trust traditional parties.

And, like her, Eduardo, 57, hopes that the new Constitution will reduce inequalities, especially in health, education and pensions, fully or partially privatized under the dictatorship: "

We must all be equal , and that there are no more privileged people just because they have such and such a family name.

Since the explosion of social anger in 2019, a lot of things have changed and I hope that will continue, that we will not go back.

"

A social movement born in October 2019 against social inequalities

A year and a half ago, the rise in the price of the metro ticket in Santiago ended up triggering protests on a scale never seen in the country.

Health, pensions, or even education, the demands quickly widened.

The demonstrators demanded the end of the neoliberal economic model, imposed under the dictatorship.

The residents got together, neighborhood by neighborhood, to think about the model of society they wanted to build together.

Under pressure from the streets, the government and parliamentarians agreed to hold a referendum.

Last October 78% of voters voted “for” the drafting of a new Constitution.

And this weekend, despite a low turnout, they therefore confirmed their desire for change, at the polls.

Traditional political parties severely sanctioned

The right in power, which had made an alliance with the extreme right and which presented itself united on the same list, obtains less than 25% of the seats.

A stinging defeat, in part linked to the record unpopularity of the president and billionaire Sebastian Pinera.

The Conservatives will therefore not have a blocking minority during the debates.

The traditional left also won few seats, but the young left-wing parties and the Communist party obtained a good score.

The independents are the big winners in the election.

Many come from the social movements that have erupted in recent years in Chile.

Some were even chosen by neighborhood assemblies created during the demonstrations at the end of 2019. They have in common the rejection of the model inherited from the dictatorship.

This suggests that Chile could move towards a model closer to the welfare state.

The environment, the rights of women and indigenous peoples

Activities such as copper mining or intensive agriculture, for example, often controlled by multinationals, are criticized by local residents.

Respect for the environment is also one of the claims of indigenous peoples.

Seventeen out of 155 seats are reserved for them and several emblematic personalities of the Mapuche people, for example, were elected this weekend.

Finally, it is a world first, the new Constitution will be drafted by as many women as men, except for one seat.

It is an achievement of the strong feminist movement in Chile.

And women were popular in this election.

To the point that to guarantee parity, some have had to give way to male candidates.

The Constituent Assembly has one year to draft a new Constitution, which will then be submitted to a referendum.

►Also listen: Chile: "The mobilization of 2019 ended up in the ballot box"

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