Referendum: Chileans reject new constitution

The draft for a new constitution in Chile was rejected in a referendum with a clear majority. Around 62 percent of voters rejected the bill. A defeat for President Boric.

According to initial calculations, the Chileans have probably rejected a newly drafted constitution. In a referendum, 62 percent spoke out against the new Basic Law, according to the Chilean electoral authority after counting almost 90 percent of the votes.

38 percent voted for the Magna Carta, which would fundamentally change the South American country. Recent polls had suggested the advanced draft could be rejected. The clarity was surprising.

Vote also on Boric

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has already prepared in case of defeat. Boric invited all political parties to the presidential palace on Monday to analyze the continuation of the constituent process, as reported by the Chilean newspaper “La Tercera”. A Constituent Assembly had been working on the draft for a year.

According to observers, the electorate may have seen the vote as a referendum on the 36-year-old – the youngest president in Chilean history. Boric’s popularity has waned significantly since taking office in March.

The draft for a “social and democratic constitutional state” included new rights for the natives of the South American country, the right to abortion and an anchoring of environmental protection in the constitution.

Constitution from the time of the military dictatorship

Above all, opinions differed on the planned new rights for the natives. The indigenous people make up about 13 percent of the Chilean population. The new draft would have given them greater autonomy and the application of their own jurisdiction. 15 million people had been called to vote.

Chile’s current constitution dates back to Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship (1973-1990). The main trigger for the constitutional process was the social unrest of 2019. Many people attributed the growing social inequalities to the old constitution. Although this has been reformed several times since 1990, it still gives the private sector a free hand in many areas.