Chile to Begin Constitutional Reform Process

President Michelle Bachelet announced Tuesday the start of a process that could lead to a new constitution for Chile.

"We are starting the process that will allow us to have a new constitution … because the current constitution had its origins in dictatorship and does not reflect the needs of our times," said President Bachelet.

Bachelet also vowed to launch a constituent assembly in order to introduce changes to the country's current constitution, which was established in 1980 under the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

A "civic education" phase would run until March 2016, which would be followed by "a process of dialogue with citizens in which everyone can take part," said Bachelet in a televised speech to the nation on Tuesday evening.

Former radical student leader and current Congress member Camila Vallejo urged her fellow Chileans to take part in the process.

“Now is the time to work together to build a social majority in order to achieve a new constitution through a constitutional assembly,” She posted on twitter.

Es hora de trabajar unidos para construir la mayoría social que logre una #NuevaConstitucion mediante Asamblea Constituyente.

— Camila Vallejo (@camila_vallejo) October 14, 2015

The Chilean president went on to state that she will form a team of specialists to look into the best way of devising and implementing a constitutional reform.

President Bachelet ran her political campaign on three key proposals, education, and tax and constitutional reforms, arguing that these have the potential to transform Chile socially, economically, and politically.

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