Chilean
People Vote for New Constitution Massive Turnout in Plebiscite Sets Course for New Constitutional Arrangements - Nick Lin -
The Chilean
people's movement for change continued its momentum and carried the day
in the October 25 plebiscite on whether to replace the current
constitution imposed by the Pinochet dictatorship in 1980. TML
Weekly sends warmest congratulations to the Chilean people
for the decisive result, in which a record turnout voted more than 78
per cent in favour of having a new constitution. The people's movement
created the possibility of new arrangements that favour the people, not
the private and foreign interests permitted to dominate the country
since the coup by Pinochet and by governments that have carried on
neo-liberal wrecking since that time. This is all the more important at
a time when the pandemic has worsened the political and economic crises
facing the people.  The plebiscite
presented Chileans with two questions. The first concerned whether they
approve or reject the drafting of a new constitution. The vote in
favour of a new constitution was 78.27 per cent. The second question
presented voters with a choice between a Constitutional Convention --
comprised of citizens directly elected to this body -- or a Mixed
Constitutional Convention -- with half its membership comprised of
currently sitting members of parliament and the other half citizens
elected to the body. Chileans voted 79 per cent in favour of a
Constitutional Convention.
The composition of the
Constitutional Convention will be equal between men and women, with
either making up no more than 50 per cent plus one of the 155 members.
In addition, a certain number of seats, will be set aside for
Indigenous peoples who make up 12 per cent of Chile's population. It is
still to be decided by Chile's senate whether those seats will comprise
a portion of the 155 positions in the convention, or will be in
addition to those. This is the first time in Chile's history that
Indigenous peoples will be represented in a constitutional body,
teleSUR reports. The Indigenous peoples have further requested that
they be represented by an equal number of men and women and that their
participation be based on how they identify themselves as nations and
peoples on an equal footing, rather than being limited to the 10
Indigenous peoples officially recognized by Chile's National Indigenous
Development Corporation. The members of the
Constitutional Convention will be elected on April 11, 2021, the same
date as elections for mayors, councillors and regional governors.
The convention will then have a maximum of 12 months to draft
a new constitution. Once a text is agreed upon, a ratifying plebiscite
will be scheduled in which voting will be mandatory. The
Chilean Electoral Service (Servel) reported a turnout of 7,529,459
voters, said to be the highest number since the 1993 presidential
election, while the percentage turnout of 51 per cent is the highest
since 2012. President of Servel Patricio Santamaría noted on
October 26 the increase in citizen participation, especially by young
people, but also older adults, despite the fact that "there was an
important group that could not participate by order of the health
authority, because they were precisely in isolation due to COVID-19."
He also pointed out that more than 100,000 mining workers were working
that day and could not exercise their right to vote. Some 60,000
Chileans living abroad in 65 countries -- primarily in Argentina, the
United States, Spain, Canada, and Australia -- were eligible to vote.
More than 80 per cent of overseas voters gave their approval for a new
constitution. 
The Need for
the Chilean People to Remain Vigilant The need
for the Chilean people to remain vigilant was underscored on the
evening of October 25. President Sebastian Piñera, in a
speech from Moneda Palace, postured as if his government stands with
the people and will now accompany them through the rest of this process
of empowerment. "This plebiscite is not the end; it is the beginning of
a path we should all undertake together," he said. "Until now, the
Constitution has divided us," he added. "As of today, we should all
cooperate to make the new Constitution become one home for all of us."
He went on to say that "Today, citizenship and democracy have
prevailed, and peace has prevailed over violence," and "This is a
victory for all Chileans." What to make of these slick words from the
president whose regime has been violently opposing the people and their
just demands for more than a year? The same evening
that Piñera made his speech, the people celebrating victory
in Santiago at Dignity Square were once again met by violent repression
from the national police, the Carabineros. The police attack began
before the polls closed at 8:00 pm. Police surrounded the square then
attacked the citizens with water and tear gas, temporarily disrupting
the celebrations. The police later retreated and the people once again
took the square. It is reasonable to conclude that
the Piñera regime has nothing but treachery in store for the
Chilean people, with the president set to complete his term in March
2022 at which point the new constitution is scheduled to be ready for
ratification. In the face of the situation the
Chilean people will surely rely on the courage and tenacity that has
brought them this far, and with the support of the peace- and
justice-loving peoples of the world, prevail over today's neo-liberals
who defend the reactionary arrangements of the Pinochet era.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 41 - October 31, 2020
Article Link:
Chilean
People Vote for New Constitution: Massive Turnout in Plebiscite Sets Course for New Constitutional Arrangements - Nick Lin
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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