This proposal for a new Constitution was the way out found to appease the long and determined social movement of October 2019 demanding more social justice.
An elected constituent assembly of 154 members has been studying its drafting for a year, and at four weeks the supporters of the “no” (Rechazo), supported by the right, are leading the polls (45%). The “yes” (Apruebo) however made a rebound of 5 points on Wednesday (36%) compared to the previous poll by the Criteria institute.
19% of voters say they are still undecided before the compulsory vote on September 4, where more than 15 million registered voters are called upon to participate.
“It is to be expected that in a few weeks we will be practically equal” in the voting intentions, predicts Rodrigo Espinoza, political scientist at the University Diego Portales, according to whom “there is a lot of uncertainty”, in the minds of voters.
The text put to the vote enshrines a “catalogue of social rights” which the State will have to vouch for. It guarantees the recognition of the various indigenous peoples and also establishes a new order of the political and judicial system, as well as a new mode of distribution of power with the disappearance of the Senate replaced by a Chamber of Regions.
He also intends to write in stone the right to abortion, Chile being able to become one of the very first countries in the world to include abortion in the Constitution.
The official campaign started in a context of disinformation which contaminates “explanations on something which is already complex to understand”, regretted Alejandro Morales, doctor in communication at the University of Chile.
Copies of the draft of the proposed new Constitution and its 388 articles are publicly available and Chileans are eager to understand what is at stake.
The government of left-wing President Gabriel Boric, in favor of the new Basic Law, printed 900,000 copies as part of a campaign called “Vote with knowledge of the facts”.
