The Constituent Assembly of Chile decided, in a session held on the morning of this Monday (14), that it will not reopen the debate on the possibility of changing the way of approving the articles that will compose the new Charter.
Thus, the procedure established by Law 21,200 will continue to apply, which determines that, for the approval of each article, a two-thirds majority of legislators will be required. This Tuesday (15) is marked the beginning of the deliberations on the points of the text.
Since the beginning of the work, there have been several requests – from independent parliamentarians, but also from groups ranging from the left to the right – for this rule to be changed to a simple majority. This is because the composition of the body is quite fragmented, and consensus among so many different groups is considered very difficult.
Among the options proposed to resolve the dilemma was to appeal to Congress so that it could change the Constituent Assembly’s regulations or allow “diriment plebiscites”, in which the population would decide on the most controversial articles.
The decision to keep things as they are, however, was taken by a 5-3 majority on the board of directors. Right-wing Raúl Celis (National Renewal), left-wing legislators Amaya Alvez (Broad Front) and Tomás Laibe (Socialist Collective), independent Gaspar DomÃnguez and Lidia González, from the Yaguán indigenous minority, were in favor of maintaining the rule.
The three votes for the change were given by the president of the Assembly, MarÃa Elisa Quinteros, the former president of the collegiate Bárbara Sepúlveda (Communist Party) and the Mapuche parliamentarian Natividad Llanquileo.
Sepúlveda asked for a new session to debate the issue, stating that the decision is serious enough to demand a vote from the plenary. On the other hand, Alvez replied that the regulations were clear from the beginning of the work and that you could not change the rules while the game was in progress. Laibe completed by saying that accepting the changes would give the impression that the body gives in to pressure.
The decision takes place one day before voting begins on each of the articles of the new Constitution, which has until July to be finalized – if the extension is not requested for another three months. Once ready, the Charter will have to be submitted to a plebiscite.
As it stands, each article will need 103 votes out of 154 lawmakers to pass.
On Tuesday’s agenda are the discussion and general voting of 16 articles related to the justice system. For each one there will be a presentation by the respective commission, a space for debate of up to eight hours and a vote.
In case of approval by the two thirds, the article becomes part of the new Charter. If the item does not pass, it goes back to the committee where it was dealt with so that suggestions and changes can be made, so that it can be considered again later.
In the midst of the more concrete debate on the new Constitution, Chile is also preparing for the succession of President Sebastián Piñera. The inauguration of leftist Gabriel Boric is scheduled for a little less than a month from now, on March 11.
