Chile holds landmark vote on new constitution

Bloomberg

Chileans started casting ballots on Sunday in a referendum on whether to draft a new constitution, a vote born out of months of protests that rattled the
foundations of a global investor darling.
Citizens will choose between writing a new charter or keeping the existing constitution that was drawn up during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. Voters must also decide if a newly elected assembly or a body composed of existing lawmakers and new delegates will draft the text.
The run-up to the vote has been marked by renewed protests against inequality and poor public services. Amid the demonstrations, many investors fear Chile will do away with pro-market laws they say created
one of Latin America’s
most stable and prosperous economies. Should voters back a new constitution, as surveys indicate they will,
it will set off almost two years of debate and uncertainty before a final vote on the new charter.
“The next phase will consist of a struggle over the content of a new constitution,” said Claudio Fuentes, a political analyst at the Universidad Diego Portales. While the government opposes a new charter, it “will join in the constitutional change” once the process has started.
Polling stations were expected to be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time, and voters will be obliged to follow strict health protocols amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Chile’s upheaval was sparked by a metro fare
increase last October that quickly ballooned into a broader social movement with grievances ranging from pensions to healthcare and education.