Santiago de Chile, (EFE).- A total of 2,932 voting centers opened this Sunday in Chile to begin the second constituent elections in two years, in which more than 15.1 million citizens will choose the 50 councilors who draft a new Magna Carta proposal.
These elections are marked by a lack of citizen interest, unlike the previous effervescent process, which ended on September 4 when 62% of Chileans rejected the first proposed constitutional text in a plebiscite.
Electoral fatigue -since the 2019 protests, Chile has held seven elections-, the failure of the previous process and the unprecedented security crisis that the country is going through explain, according to experts, the disaffection towards these elections.
Although it is difficult to make forecasts due to the great apathy and because voting is compulsory – unlike two years ago – there is a consensus that the correlation of forces will be very different from the previous constituent convention, dominated by the left.
The voting centers will be open until 18:00 local time (22:00 GMT) and the first results are expected to be available a couple of hours later.
President Gabriel Boric, who has been little involved in that election, unlike in the September plebiscite, votes in his native Punta Arenas (extreme south of Chile) and is expected to return to Santiago at noon to follow the course of the day from La Moneda Palace.
Opposition and ruling party, divided
The ruling party comes divided to these elections and runs with two different lists: one made up of the Socialist Party and the most left wing of the Government (Broad Front and Communist Party), and another made up of the ruling center-left parties plus Democracy Cristiana, which is not exactly the opposition but is not a member of the Government either.
The right also arrives divided into three lists: the traditional one from Chile Vamos (UDI, RN and Evópoli), the far-right from the Republican Party and the populist from the People’s Party.
One of the keys to the day lies in the seats obtained by these last two formations, which did not participate in the elections two years ago because they were recently created and which have risen a lot in the polls, despite defending the current Magna Carta , in force since the dictatorship (1973-1990).
If the three rights get 30 seats or more, they will have full control of the constituent body and will be able to approve the rules without the need to negotiate.
The great novelty of this second attempt to renew the Constitution is the participation of a group of 24 experts appointed by Parliament, whose mission is to prepare a draft that will serve as a basis for the 50 councilors (25 men and 25 women) elected in the urns.
Another peculiarity is the existence of 12 basic principles agreed upon a priori by the parties to avoid a refounding proposal like the previous one, which include the declaration of Chile as a “social and democratic State of law”, the indivisibility of the “Chilean nation ” or the bicameral system.
“We have a historic opportunity to reconcile”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said the country has “a historic opportunity to reconcile” and that he hopes people will vote “informed” and “without fear” in the constituent elections.
“As a country, we have a historic opportunity to reconcile, after the fractures we have experienced, and move towards a developed and inclusive country, where no one is left behind,” said Boric, after casting the ballot in his native Punta Arenas, in the south end.
The ruler, who will now travel to Santiago to follow the voting process from the La Moneda palace, assured that both the Government and the political parties that support it will “strictly” respect the results of these constituent elections, the second in two years.