There was already a vote on a new constitution in Chile in September 2022. At that time the design failed. Now the Chileans voted again against constitutional reform.
The second attempt at constitutional reform in Chile also failed. In a referendum in the South American country, a majority of participants spoke out against the draft for a new basic law that would replace the current constitution that dates back to the Pinochet dictatorship.
55.7 percent of voters rejected the draft from the Constitutional Council, which is dominated by conservative parties, as the electoral office announced after counting over 95 percent of the votes. 44.2 percent voted for the new Basic Law.
President Boric: Last attempt at reform
The left-wing President Gabriel Boric had announced in advance that the current draft would be his last attempt to reform the constitution. The outcome of the referendum is also seen as the people’s vote on the policies of the head of state, who came to power in 2021 at the age of 35.
In a referendum in September 2022, a clear majority of almost 62 percent of Chileans spoke out against a progressive draft text for a new constitution, which, among other things, provided for more environmental protection and more rights for the indigenous population.
The new text now up for election was much more conservative. Critics – including the left-wing government of the South American country – had complained that the new constitution represented a step backwards in certain basic rights. The draft could restrict the right to abortion, enable the immediate expulsion of foreigners and establish tax advantages for homeowners.
Constitution from the time of Military dictatorship
The current 1980 constitution remains in force with the failure of the second draft. It dates back to the time of the military dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet. The general ruled Chile with a hard hand between 1973 and 1990. The state’s tasks are reduced to a minimum in the constitution, and the education, health and pension systems are largely privatized. A new constitution was one of the main demands of the 2019 social protests.