Voters in Chile reject draft constitution, election officials say

Chilean voters rejected a proposed new constitution drafted by a conservative-led committee, electoral service Servel said, meaning the charter imposed during Augusto Pinochet's military junta will remain in force. (Photo/AFP)

With more than three-quarters of referendum ballots counted, the "against" option prevailed with 55.5 percent of the vote, compared to 44.5 "in favor," according to Servel.

Chileans casted ballots Sunday on a second referendum aimed at replacing the country's junta-era constitution, with voters asked to approve or reject a more conservative draft.

The latest version was overseen by the far-right opposition Republican Party after voters roundly rejected a progressive draft in September 2022 that attempted to enshrine environmental protections and the right to elective abortion.

Leftist President Gabriel Boric said last month that it would be his last attempt to reform the constitution, in order to focus on stability and long-term development. His government has adopted a neutral position on the new draft.

"Today we are living a new civic day that, no matter the result, strengthens our democracy," Boric said after voting in his hometown of Punta Arenas.

Replacing the constitution

Polls, banned in the two-week run-up to the referendum, had predicted another rejection.

The process to rewrite the 1980 constitution, adopted under the Augusto Pinochet military government, began as a bid to ease mass protests that broke out in 2019 against social inequality.

In a 2020 referendum, 80 percent voted for replacing the constitution.

However, four years after the protests erupted, enthusiasm has been dampened by the pandemic, inflation and economic stagnation, a growing sense of insecurity, and voter fatigue.

"There is not much spirit, as this is an exhausting process," information technology worker Nicolas Mora, 29, said after voting.

Paulina Salas, a 56-year-old homemaker, said she hopes that after this vote Chile can return to calm.

There is a need for "stability, that people can go back to work, to have saf ety with regard to their job and everyday life," Salas said.

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Source: TRT