Chile: Opposition Unites Calling For New Constituent Assembly

Chilean opposition political parties generated a unitary agreement on Tuesday and called on Sebastián Piñera's government to hold a Constituent Assembly and a plebiscite for a new Constitution.

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Through a communiqué, the political alignments called on the government to reject its own proposal for a Constituent Congress and listen to the "mobilized citizenry.

"The need for a New Constitution, born out of the claims of citizenship, must allow the establishment of a new political, economic and social model.

The text also affirms that, through institutionality, an agenda that combats abuses and inequalities must be urgently implemented to alleviate the situation faced by thousands of families.

"It is a fact that the only possibility of opening a way out of the crisis begins with a New Constitution. The citizens mobilized throughout the national territory have established, through the facts, a "constituent process" throughout the country.

The text also states that the political forces have the duty to make viable a binding Plebiscite for the establishment of a New Magna Carta that governs the destiny of the country.

The opposition points out that the current Constituent Congress proposal "moves away from the popular demand for participation and deliberation in the important task we face.

For public opinion, experts and civil society organizations alike, the Constituent Assembly is the most democratic mechanism to guarantee broad citizen participation that gives full legitimacy to the process.

Finally, the parties point out that "the Government must understand that the citizens mobilized in the streets throughout the country demand and must participate in this historic process.