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SpanishChileans vote to change their constitution in hopes of better pensions and socioeconomic equality
Chileans have overwhelmingly voted to rewrite the South American country’s dictatorship-era constitution, which its critics see as favouring deep levels of socioeconomic inequality that fuelled a wave of violent protests in 2019 and 2020.
With 90.78 per cent of polling stations counted, 78.24 per cent voted in favour of a new constitution, while 21.76 voted against, according to figures released by the Electoral Service on Sunday night, (Monday AEDT).
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“This is a triumph for all Chileans who love democracy, unity and peace,” said a President Sebastian Pinera as the votes were being counted.
About 79 per cent of voters supported having the charter be drafted by a convention of 155 elected citizens rather than a convention with half its members elected citizens and half members of Congress.
Among the 60,000 Chileans living abroad who voted in 65 nations, the vote was 86 per cent for a new constitution and 13 per cent against, officials said.
Electoral and government officials and analysts pointed to a particularly high turnout and significant representation of young people among voters, despite the country continuing to be blighted by the coronavirus pandemic and recent violence linked to the demonstrations.
Read more @Wa Today
