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Constitutional Convention in Chile: In October last year, the Chileans voted with a large majority for the creation of a new constitution
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Elvis Gonzalez / EPA
The vote has historical significance: After the people of Chile decided on a new constitution last year, the constituent assembly was elected on the weekend.
Many politically independent people are likely to be involved in drafting the new text.
After counting more than 90 percent of the votes on Sunday evening (local time), the coalition of the conservative government of President Sebastián Piñera clearly missed its goal of providing a third of the 155 members of the constituent assembly.
According to this, however, non-party candidates will occupy around 40 percent of the seats.
Left opposition parties also grew.
In the elections on Saturday and Sunday, mayors, councilors and governors were also determined in the South American country.
Thousands of demonstrators called for a new constitution
In October last year, the Chileans voted with a large majority for the drafting of a new constitution. The current text from 1980 is from the time of the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). Critics complained that the constitution codified the neoliberal economic system, made far-reaching changes to the law difficult through high quotas and barely guaranteed basic social rights. A new constitution was one of the key demands of the protesters, who took to the streets in their thousands against the government at the end of 2019.
The citizens had sent a clear message to the government and all traditional political forces, said President Piñera in a speech on Sunday evening (local time).
"We are not sufficiently adjusted to the demands and wishes of the citizens and are challenged by new forms of expression and new leadership."
Around 1,300 candidates had applied for a seat in the constituent assembly.
Half of the delegates are said to be women, and 17 mandates are reserved for representatives of the indigenous communities.
After a year at the latest, the constitutional convention should present a new constitution, which the Chileans will again vote on in a referendum.
asc / dpa
