Chile Plebiscite: Voters Overwhelmingly Reject New Progressive Constitution

The people of Chile on Sunday, 4 September, rejected a proposed new Constitution in a plebiscite.

A still from a rally organised by supporters of the new Constitution. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@BenjAlvarez1)

The people of Chile on Sunday, 4 September, rejected the new proposed Constitution in a plebiscite. While almost 80 percent of Chileans voted in favour a new Constitution in 2020, around 62 percent of them rejected the newly drafted version.

While accepting defeat, Karol Cariola, a spokesperson for the campaign in favour of what has been called a left-leaning, progressive Constitution, said, "We are committed to creating conditions to channel that popular will and the path that leads us to a new Constitution."

Chile's first leftist President, Gabriel Boric, whose government supported the new text, said that he would work with different sections of the society to draft another Constitution.

"We have to listen to the voice of the people. Not just today, but the last intense years we've lived through," said Boric.

What Provisions Did the 'Progressive' Constitution Contain?

The old Constitution of 1980 was approved and promulgated under the military junta headed by the then-dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The new Constitution has been drafted up by an equal number of women and men, making it the first of its kind in this respect. Indigenous communities have been provided with siginficiant representation as well.

Talking about indigenous communities, the draft text defines Chile as a "plurinational" state (that is, the state has multiple identities), and even suggested the recognition of Indigenous legal systems.

The new Constitution would also give women the right to terminate their pregnancy, which is huge given that abortion was totally banned in the country till 2017, after which exceptions were made (like when a woman's life is in danger).

The Constitution also included provisions for labour laws, such as protection for organised labour, and guaranteed stronger rights for basic amenities like health, education, and food.