Chile: Piñera Delays in Declaring Holidays on Election Days

Chile's Progressive Party (PRO) senator Alejandro Navarro and leftist Comunes coalition lawmaker Claudia Mix urged President Sebastian Piñera to enact the law establishing public holidays on the upcoming Election Days.

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Last week, Congress submitted to Piñera the bill that approved mandatory holidays on May 15 and 16. This bill, which would benefit 1.1 million workers in the commerce sector, seeks to avoid congestion between communes by allowing trade workers not to go back to the workplace after casting their votes. 

"We consider this delay to be extremely serious since it is worth remembering Piñera acted quickly with the third pension fund withdrawal bill," Navarro said. 

"it is a constitutional duty the promulgation of the law... I want to believe that the Executive's holdup is not part of dilatory maneuvers," he added. 

On Election Days, Chileans will have to vote for the mayors and councilmen of 346 municipalities and 16 governors who will remain in office for four years.

They also will choose 155 members of the Constituent Convention, which will have nine months to present a new text to be voted in a plebiscite next year. 

"If we want a wide turnout, Chileans need to be certain that they will not have to work those days and that they will be able to go and vote peacefully," Mix noted.