The Chileans say no to the new constitution – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

After more than 72 percent of the votes had been counted, the no side led with more than 62 percent against just under 38 percent for the yes side. 15 million Chileans had the right to vote in Sunday’s referendum, and it is mandatory to participate in elections in Chile. The turnout was high, and there were long queues at the polling stations. The result is a stinging defeat for President Gabriel Boric who argued that a new constitution would be the first step in a new progressive era. Previous opinion polls showed that a clear majority wanted to replace the old constitution from the time of the military regime with a new constitution. People who supported the new constitution are reacting with disappointment at the loss. Photo: JAVIER TORRES / AFP Skepticism about some points But there has been considerable skepticism about some of the points in the proposal, particularly about the right to abortion and the rights of the indigenous population, and the latest opinion polls indicated that it was headed for defeat for the supporters of the constitution. However, no one had expected that the proposal would fall by such a large margin as the preliminary results indicate. The process towards a new constitution started after the large protests against the elites in 2019, for greater equality and better welfare schemes. The following year, almost 80 percent voted in favor of amending the constitution, and in 2021 a constitutional assembly was elected which drew up the proposal for a new constitution. – Too long and vague The draft constitution has been called one of the most radical in the world. It overturns the extreme privatization in Chile, gives women and the indigenous population new rights and is described as ground-breaking for climate and the environment. However, many have felt that the draft of 388 paragraphs was too long and too vague, that it went too far, and that the Constituent Assembly was not representative of all Chileans. The most skepticism was against turning Chile into a multinational state, and that self-governing indigenous areas should be established, and that self-determined abortion should be enshrined in the constitution.



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