Chile's Ruling Coalition Gets Less Than Third Of Ballots In Constitutional Delegates Vote

Chile's ruling center-right Chile Vamos coalition, backed by President Sebastian Pinera, received less than one third of the seats after two-day elections of 155 delegates to the assembly, depriving them of a decisive role in rewriting the country's constitution

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2021) Chile's ruling center-right Chile Vamos coalition, backed by President Sebastian Pinera, received less than one third of the seats after two-day elections of 155 delegates to the assembly, depriving them of a decisive role in rewriting the country's constitution.

With 98.3% of the votes counted, Chile Vamos had won only 37 seats, while independents picked up 48 seats. The leftist coalition Apruebo Dignidad got 28 seats and the center-left coalition Lista del Apruebo received 25 mandates. Seventeen seats have been reserved for members of Chile's indigenous communities.

Pinera said that the disappointing results obtained by the ruling coalition and the right-wing candidates mean that the citizens want new leadership. He appealed to all the elected candidates saying they must write a constitution that protects the rights of all citizens and includes both the legacy of previous and the hope of future generations.

"Citizens have sent a strong and clear message to the government and the traditional political forces saying that we are not adequately tuning in with the demands and desires of the citizens," the president said during the press conference in the Government Headquarters.

The majority of Chileans stood up for changing the country's constitution in October last year. According to the results of the referendum, more than 78% of the population voted for the amendments to the supreme law of the country. A new referendum will have to be held after the draft of the new constitution is completed.

Chile's current constitution was approved in 1980 during the reign of dictator Augusto Pinochet. Since then, the constitution has been amended several times. However, the current constitution is criticized not only for being a "Pinochet legacy," but also for limiting the role of the government in the provision of basic services. It promotes the influence of private enterprises in all the sectors of the economy, including education, health and pensions. Even though Chile has one of the highest GDP rates per capita in Latin America, it is also classified as one of the most unequal countries among advanced economies.