The Chilean ruling party is committed to moderating the proposal for a new Constitution after the plebiscite

A line of people waits in front of La Moneda, in Santiago, to receive a copy of the draft Constitution at the launch of the Chile Vota Informado campaign, on August 10, 2022. Esteban Felix (AP)

After intense negotiations that culminated on Wednesday night, the parties that support the Government of Gabriel Boric have released a document this Thursday in which they propose improvements and clarifications to the text of the new Constitution that will be plebiscited on September 4 next.

They do so in the face of an unfavorable scenario for the proposal that was presented by the constitutional convention at the beginning of July, at least according to the polls, which give it around 10 points away from the option of those who will reject it (47% against 37%, according to the latest Cadem poll).

The agreement between the two blocs that support La Moneda – the alliance between Boric's Broad Front and the Communist Party and the formations of the so-called Democratic Socialism, which makes up the Socialist Party – represents a strong turn of moderation and points to key issues related to to plurinationality, social rights, security, the political system and the Judiciary.

It does not correct, however, issues such as the dissolution of the Senate, another aspect that has generated reticence in the political world, especially the center-left.

"This agreement clarifies certain doubts and interpretations that have sought to confuse and misinform citizens, contributing to a responsible and informed vote," says the four-page document signed by the 10 parties and movements that support the Boric government, although what What is done is to correct the text of the constitutional convention and clarify its implementation, in case it is approved.

In the referendum that will be held in just over three weeks, there will be two options on the ballot:

and I

.

La Moneda has decided to play an important role not only in providing information about the plebiscite, but also in pushing the option of those who support the proposal.

The fate of the text is tied to the Government – ​​this is what the figures show – so for the Executive's project it is essential that it be approved.

The negotiations in the political world have accelerated after former socialist president Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006) made his position public on July 5, just hours after the proposal was officially presented: that, apart from the result of the plebiscite , the constitutional process must continue.

He expressed that neither the current Constitution nor the new text generate consensus among Chileans, so he traced a path of reforms in the event that he wins

or

.

Despite the reluctance of certain sectors of the left such as the Communist Party, which initially refused to correct the text of the new Constitution before September 4, the ruling party has finally taken this step to calm the electorate and to approve the document that it was worked on for a year by the 154-member constitutional convention.

In the agreement released this Thursday, Boric's parties value the proposal of the constitutional convention, dominated by sectors of the left, which worked between July 2021 and July 2022. For the ruling party, it is "a new pact social” that meets the desire for social rights that citizens have expressed, through a Social and Democratic State of Law, founded on solidarity.

The government parties assure that this new text will enable transformative public policies and that it will ensure "equal opportunities for all, with special emphasis on parity, children, women and the elderly."

It highlights that, if approved, it is a Constitution that enshrines "decent work, the ecological State, which confers real power to the regions,

The ruling parties, however, have believed it necessary to correct and clarify certain matters that generate great concern among citizens, as surveys have measured.

These commitments seek to push the approval of the text to subsequently debate these issues democratically in Congress.

In the sphere of plurinationality, for example, the ruling party's proposal clarifies that the indigenous consultation will only refer to matters that may directly affect native peoples.

It indicates, among other matters, that the territorial autonomies contemplated in the proposed new Constitution "will be developed in accordance with the principles of unity and indivisibility of the State of Chile."

One of the issues that generates the most debate in Chilean society has been that of the indigenous justice systems contemplated in the text of the new Constitution.

Boric's ruling party ensures that there will be no parallel Justice regimes that call into question the unity, coherence and consistency of the Judiciary.

“Indigenous justice will only apply to members of the same people, it will be voluntary and will not have jurisdiction over criminal offenses.

The indigenous Justice, as indicated in the new Constitution, will always be subordinated to the ordinary Justice, in particular, to the Supreme Court”, assures the document.

The political agreement reached by the left, in a process where President Boric has directly intervened to reach consensus, refers to social rights.

As one of the concerns of the people is related to the future of their savings for pensions within the individual capitalization system, the text presented indicates that the ruling party commits that "the implementation of the right to a decent pension will be based on a new mixed model, where there will continue to be an individual capitalization component, in the same terms as today”.

In terms of housing, meanwhile, it is ensured that "the right to housing and the right to property are absolutely guaranteed" - has been another of the citizens' fears given the ambivalence of the constituent discussion and the proposed text -, and regarding the health system, it is clarified that "the law will ensure an integrated system with public and private participation, where clinics, hospitals, and private medical centers continue to exist."

They do it in accordance with what the ruling party thinks the people want: to have the option to choose.

It is also indicated that "education as a social right, and in its legislative implementation, the existence and development of subsidized private education will be respected", another of the main concerns of people in a country like Chile, where around 54 % of the educational offer is managed by private companies with the help of the State.

It is the bet of the families before the deficient quality of the public education.

Public security

In terms of security, it is proposed to establish a state of emergency "due to a serious alteration of public security" -which had been eliminated from the text to be plebiscitated-, authorizing the Armed Forces to collaborate.

In the political system, meanwhile, the parties that support the Boric government are committed to achieving a better balance in the Legislative Power, the central government and the territorial entities.

"We believe it is necessary to eliminate the power to present parliamentary motions that directly incur expenses to the State", it is indicated in reference to one of the issues proposed by the convention: that parliamentarians could, for example, lead spending initiatives.

“Lastly, we agreed that for a better administration of the Executive Branch and the electoral political processes themselves,

This agreement of the Boric parties addresses a fifth issue that worries people: the independence of the courts and the risk of the politicization of Justice.

Along with proposing to restore its name to the Judiciary, they indicate the need to review the composition of the new Council of Justice to ensure its integration by a majority of judges, while emphasizing that "the qualification of the judges by that Council will not consider the content of their faults."

Despite the fact that the polls indicate that

prevails over

, specialists in public opinion think that the result will be narrow, especially considering that it will be a compulsory vote and electoral pockets that usually do not participate will pay, such as non-politicians and young people. .

The corrections of the ruling party are known only hours after the main right-wing parties –UDI, RN and Evópoli– released a document with the reforms that should be undertaken in the event that their option wins, the

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