Chile is already on the way to a plebiscite to approve or reject the new Constitution

On Monday morning, the Chilean Constitutional Convention was handed over to President Gabriel Boric the definitive text of the New Constitutionafter twelve months of work done by 154 conventional voters, democratically elected for this purpose.

It was the first constituent power similarly constituted (50% men and 50% women) in any country throughout history. A milestone that has seen its functions completed exactly 12 months after starting them.

The act was sober and – finally – managed to shake off the controversy. Unlike on the day the Convention took office, there were no screams or interruptions. In fact this time the children and adolescents of the Youth Orchestra were able to sing the national anthem without incident, thus making the difference with the inauguration ceremony.

Almost 20 minutes late, the ceremony began with a speech by the agency’s vice president, Gaspar Domínguez. In his speech, the electoral underlined that “this proposal that unites us today is the result of a collective effort, of millions of people who have contributed their knowledgeideas, support, good wishes and also from their criticisms, sometimes painful, but which have helped us to improve ”.

imperfect and real

Domínguez added that “I am a rural doctor. I work in Palena, in the Los Lagos region and I am part of this community of 154 conventional men and women. Another of the 19 million Chilean men and women who have deposited their desire in us. to change our way of living together “, he added.

And he stressed that “today it is a privilege to be here and it is a privilege that entails a great responsibility: the opportunity to be just a citizen like any other, to live in regionsto be openly homosexual and to be in a position of leadership and representation, which until a few years ago would have been unthinkable ”.

As for the criticisms, the vice president took charge and expressed: “I am an imperfect and real person, like all the people who wrote this draft and also this process was like this: imperfect and real“.

Although his presence was considered from the beginning of the ceremony, the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, left the Palacio de La Moneda around 10:45 am and joined the ceremony when the speeches had already been delivered. .

The design change in the ceremony was due to the need that the government provided separate the figure of the president, and his approval, from the intention to vote for approval to the new text, as Clarín was able to verify with the official sources.

what’s coming

After receiving the text from the hands of the President of the Convention, María Elisa Quinteros, Boric proceeded to address a few words to those present. “A lot of history has gone by to reach this moment. Many sacrifices, even of lives, to be able to discuss, discuss a Constitution that arises from a democratic debate. It is worth remembering at this moment the former president Eduardo Frei Montalva, who, 42 years ago, on 27 August 1980, in the dark days of our country, then convened a constituent assembly “, said the president.

After his address, signed the decree to hold the constitutional referendum on 4 September, where voting will be mandatory, unlike the other electoral processes in the country. Campaigns for groups for approval and denial can officially begin within 48 hours.

That day, all public opinion polls released data that favor the option of “rejecting” the new text. Last night, the interviewee Cadem, in her studio “Plaza Pública”, gave a 51% vote intention to refuse, compared with 34% in favor of approval. As for the expectations of victory, Boric referred precisely to the importance of the decision that the Chileans will take within sixty days.

“This Constitution, this draft Constitution and the plebiscite of 4 September is not and must not be a process to the government, it is the debate on the future and destiny of Chile for the next four or five decades “said the sovereign during the ceremony.

However, the country is preparing to face the final stretch of a process that began on October 18, 2019, with the social outbreak that plunged it into the worst political crisis of the last three decades. At that moment, on the night of November 15, the various political forces reached a historic agreement, which sought to channel popular discontent into a constituent process.

All in all, today’s scenario is uncertain and Chileans will have to face a polarized scenario, with an election that analysts define as “close” and “unpredictable”. Paraphrasing the Trans-Andean president, “once again it will be the people who will have the last word on their fate”.

PB