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News > Chile

Chile: Election of Constitutional Assembly President is Delayed

  • Legislators leave the headquarters of the Constitutional Convention, Santiago, Chile, Jan. 5, 2022.

    Legislators leave the headquarters of the Constitutional Convention, Santiago, Chile, Jan. 5, 2022. | Photo: EFE

Published 5 January 2022
Opinion

​​​​​​​“The inability to reach a consensus to choose a new directive weakens the image of the Constitutional Assembly,” lawyer Agustin Squella stressed.

Chile’s Constitutional Convention will restart the election of its new president on Wednesday after over-18-hour-lasting voting that ended without any candidate obtaining 78 votes needed to replace current President Elisa Loncon, whose six-month term of office ended on Jan. 4.

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Besides being related to the lack of agreement between the lawmakers, the delay in the paraliamentary decision process is due to the characteristics of a manual vote-counting system, which requires lawmakers to stand up to cast their vote in each decision round. The Assembly Board of Directors counts the votes each time this happens. 

After 2:00 am local time, Antofagasta University teacher Cristina Dorador withdrew her candidacy with the aim of unlocking the elections. "My name did not produce consensus, so I hope my resignation will be useful,” admitted Dorador, who gathered 72 ballots and the support of the Broad Front, Communist Party, and social movements.

Although Dorador supported the NGO America Solidaria founder Benito Baranda, the candidate who followed her in the voting preference, she did not confirm whether she will vote for him or any other politician in today's session.

Some legislators criticized the lack of agreement on the first voting day. “The inability to reach a consensus to choose a new directive weakens the image of the Constitutional Assembly,” lawyer Agustin Squella stressed, adding that this situation was deplorable.

After three months of drawing up its operating regulations and designing its thematic commissions, the Assembly began to debate the contents of the new Constitution on Oct. 18.

The Chilean lawmakers will have another six months to finish writing the Constitution to replace the one drafted by Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship (1973-1990), which significantly fostered social inequality.

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