Chileans favored independents to draft a new constitution

<p>SANTIAGO, Chile &mdash; Chileans favored left-leaning independent candidates in electing an assembly that will draft a new constitution, replacing the one imposed in the 1980s during the military dictatorship.</p>
<p>In a major blow to the traditional political forces in Chile, weekend voting for the 155-member constitutional assembly gave 48 seats to independent candidates, most of them identified with leftist ideology, according to official results announced Monday. </p>
<p>The next biggest group was the governing center-right coalition, with 37 seats, and then the Communist Party with 28. Fifteen seats went to another leftist coalition, and 17 were reserved for Indigenous people.</p>
<p>“It is a disastrous result," Fuad Chaín, president of the center-left Christian Democratic Party, said Monday of the poor showing by Chile’s political parties. Chaín was elected to be member of the new assembly.</p>
<p>Analysts and opinion polls suggested before the election the independent candidates would get only 10 to 12 seats. </p>
<p>Activist groups are campaigning for the new constitution include equality for women, enshrine protections for the environment and for Indigenous people, and provide a right to abortion. Conservatives hope to maintain a dominant private sector and rules making it hard to pass major reforms in the legislature.</p>
<p>But the various groups will have limitations on getting their full goals into the new constitution, because a two-thirds agreement is required.</p>
<p>“Getting the needed quorum will require quite a significant effort," said Rodrigo Espinoza, a teacher at the Diego Portales University.</p>
<p>Last year, nearly 80% of voters in a plebiscite supporting having an constitutional assembly draft a new charter for the nation following a year of protests.</p>
<p>The document that emerges from the assembly will go to a public vote in mid-2022. If rejected, the current constitution will remain in force.</p>