Iran Press/ America: Conservative President Sebastian Piñera immediately reacted to the results, calling in a televised address for the “unity” of the country to draft the “new Constitution”. “Until now, the Constitution has divided us. From today, we must all collaborate so that the new Constitution is a space of unity, stability and the future ”, declared the Head of State.
As the vote count continued, thousands of euphoric demonstrators gathered in downtown Santiago, in Plaza Italia, the epicenter of the protest, to celebrate the “victory”. A year ago to the day, the protest against inequalities had taken a turn when 1.2 million people gathered in this emblematic square, renamed “Place de la dignité”, AP reported.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic which hit Chile hard (500,000 contaminations, 14,000 deaths), voters turned out en masse, forming long queues at the polls. The official turnout was not yet known, but Election Authority Director Patricio Santamaria predicted a high figure. In the morning, Sebastian Piñera called on the Chileans to go to the polls “because of every vote counts”.
Replacing the Constitution inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) was one of the demands of the demonstrations launched from October 18, 2019 in order to demand a more just society. The current fundamental law severely limits the action of the state and promotes private activity in all sectors, including education, health, and pensions.
The 14.7 million voters were called to answer two questions: “Do you want a new Constitution?” “And” Which body will have to draft the new Constitution? According to partial results covering more than half of the polling stations, the option of a “Constituent Convention” made up entirely of citizens wins by 79% of the votes, against 21% for a “Mixed Convention” made up of citizens and parliamentarians.
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