This Sunday, 2932 polling stations opened in Chile to start the election campaign. second constituent elections in two years, in which more than 15.1 million citizens will elect 50 councillors, who will develop a new Magna Carta proposal.

There will be 25 men and 25 women who will make up the new Constitutional Council, which will prepare the next constitutional proposal, which will vote in a plebiscite on 17 December. explained Dr. Daniel Zovatto, Regional Director of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Idea), in an information card provided by Aristegui News.

Polls show that most Chileans they feel disinterested in this new stage of the founding processwhich is far from the fervor of the social outbreak that saw the government of Sebastián Piñera deteriorate in favor of the current President Gabriel Boric, who “promoted in 2021 one of the most progressive constitutions in the world”, which was rejected by a large majority in a constitutional plebiscite in September 2022, Zovatto explained.

September 4 last year 62% of Chileans rejected in plebiscite the first proposed constitutional text.

Election fatigue — Chile has held seven elections since the 2019 protests — the failure of the previous process and the unprecedented security crisis the country is experiencing explain, experts say, dissatisfaction with these elections.

Although it is difficult to make predictions due to a lot of apathy and mandatory voting, unlike two years ago, there is a consensus that the balance of power will be very different from the previous constitutional conventionwhere the left dominates.

Polling stations will be open until 18:00 local time (20:00 in central Mexico), and it is expected that first results in a couple of hours.

The ruling party split in these elections and It competes with two different lists: one is made up of the Socialist Party and the very left wing of the government (Broad Front and Communist Party) and the other is made up of the ruling centre-left parties plus Christian Democracy which is not an opposition proper but is not a member of the government either.

The right also comes divided into three lists: traditional from Chile Vamos (UDI, RN and Evópoli), far right from the Republican Party and populist from the People’s Party.

One of the keys to today lies in the seats taken by these last two formations, which did not run in the elections two years ago because they were newly created and have risen strongly in the polls. despite the protection of the current Magna Carta, has been operating since the dictatorship (1973-1990).

If three people receive 30 or more seats, will have absolute control over the founding body and they will be able to approve the rules without the need for negotiations.

The great novelty of this second attempt to update the Constitution is participation of a group of 24 experts appointed by Parliament, whose mission is to prepare a blueprint that will serve as the basis for 50 directors (25 men and 25 women) elected by election.

Another feature is the presence 12 core agreed principles a priori parties to avoid a revision of the proposal like the previous one, which include the proclamation of Chile as a “social and democratic state of law”, the indivisibility of the “Chilean nation” or a bicameral system.

Boric: “We have a historic opportunity to reconcile”

President of Chile Gabriel Boric says country has ‘historic opportunity to reconcile’ and that he hopes the people will vote “with knowledge” and “without fear” in this Sunday’s constituent elections.

“As a country, we have a historic opportunity to reconcile, after the fractures we have experienced and move towards a developed and inclusive country where no one is left behind,” Boric said after voting in his native Punta Arenas, in the far south.

The ruler, who will now travel to Santiago to monitor the voting process from La Moneda Palace, assured that both the government and the political parties that support it they will respect “literally” the results of these constituent electionssecond in two years.