2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election
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155 seats in the Chilean Constitutional Convention | |||||||||||||||||
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An election for the members of the Constitutional Convention is being held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021.[1] This election was called after 78% of voters in the 2020 national plebiscite voted to write a new Constitution through this method.[2]
After massive protests and riots sparked in October 2019, an agreement was reached on 15 November 2019 between several political parties to start the process to write a new Constitution.[3] In case the first referendum was approved (originally scheduled for 26 April 2021), a special election would be called to select the members of the Constitutional Convention.
This election was originally scheduled for 25 October 2020, six months after the first referendum. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, the first referendum was moved to 25 October and the eventual election of the members of the Convention was scheduled for 11 April 2021.[4] The extension of the pandemic forced the government to change the date of the election twice later: on March 2021, the election was extended to two days (10 and 11 April)[5] and later, moved one month later, to 15 and 16 May 2021 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.[1]
This was the first time that Chilean citizens were able to vote for the members of the body created to write the Constitution. Although based originally in the system to elect the 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies, this election process established several changes. For the first time, 17 reserved seats were established for the 10 official indigenous groups. Also, different mechanisms in the inscription of candidates and the election system will secure total gender parity in the Convention, being the first assembly of this kind in the world with equal representation of men and women.[6]
Electoral system
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The Constitutional Convention is composed of 155 members directly elected in this election: 138 by the electorate at-large and 17 were reserved for citizens identified as indigenous.
The 138 at-large members were chosen in 28 constituencies of between three and eight seats by open list proportional representation. The constituencies are the same used for the election of the 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies. However, the districts with the largest number of indigenous people (according to the last census) and more than 3 seats were reduced by one seat to allocate the reserved indigenous seats.[7] Candidates should be at least 18 years old and not have been previously convicted of a felony. Candidates could be presented by political parties or alliances of parties; in case of independents candidates, they could participate as single independent candidates (gathering signatures of other independent citizens equal to 0.2% of voters in the last parliamentary election) or as a list (in this case, 0.5% of voters).[8]
Seats were allocated using the D'Hondt method, just like in the parliamentary elections. On April 2020, a constitutional reform made some adjustment to that system to ensure equal representation of men and women in the Constitutional Convention. In case there is no gender equality in a constituency,[n 1] the least-voted elected candidate of the over-represented gender will be replaced by a different-sex member in the same list or political party of the replaced candidate. Also, all alliances and parties had to present a list of candidates alternating their gender, starting by a women, followed by a man and so on.[9]
The 17 seats reserved for Chilean indigenous peoples were allocated proportionally, depending on the number of people identifying in the 2017 census: 7 seats for Mapuche,[n 2] 2 for Aymara, and 1 each for the Diaguita, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Chango, Rapa Nui, Kawésqar, and Yaghan peoples. Originally, an additional seat was set for the Afro-Chilean tribal group, but the proposal didn't meet the quorum for approval in the Congress.[10] Candidates for these seats must have been registered as a member of one of the recognized indigenous groups with CONADI or have an affidavit declaring that, and have to live in one of the designated regions for each group. Citizens identifying as indigenous could chose one of the ballots: the beige for the at-large election or the green for the reserved seats (with different candidates depending on its group). The candidates with the largest number of votes will be elected and, in case there is no gender equality, the least-voted members of the over-represented gender will be replaced by their alternate candidate of the different gender.[11]
Each list also had to present candidates with disability at least in 5% of their candidacies. Other proposals to allow more diversity in the Constituent Assembly were rejected, including one to secure 5% of the candidacies to people from gender or sexual minorities or to establish 3 electoral districts (with 8 seats) for Chileans living abroad.[12][13]
Electoral districts
| District number | Geographical area | No. of members elected |
|---|---|---|
| 1st district | Arica and Parinacota | 3
|
| 2nd district | Tarapacá | 3
|
| 3rd district | Antofagasta | 4
|
| 4th district | Atacama | 4
|
| 5th district | Coquimbo | 6
|
| 6th district | Aconcagua, Quillota and Petorca | 8
|
| 7th district | Valparaíso, San Antonio and Pacific Islands | 7
|
| 8th district | Santiago West | 7
|
| 9th district | Santiago North | 6
|
| 10th district | Santiago Central | 7
|
| 11th district | Santiago North East | 6
|
| 12th district | Santiago South East | 6
|
| 13th district | Santiago South | 4
|
| 14th district | Santiago Outer | 5
|
| 15th district | Cachapoal Valley | 5
|
| 16th district | Colchagua Valley | 4
|
| 17th district | Maule North | 7
|
| 18th district | Maule South | 4
|
| 19th district | Ñuble | 5
|
| 20th district | Greater Concepción | 7
|
| 21st district | Biobio and Arauco | 4
|
| 22nd district | Araucanía North | 3
|
| 23rd district | Araucanía South | 6
|
| 24th district | Los Ríos | 4
|
| 25th district | Osorno and Llanquihue Lake | 3
|
| 26th district | Puerto Montt, Chiloé and Palena | 4
|
| 27th district | Aysén | 3
|
| 28th district | Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica | 3
|
| Seats for Chilean indigenous peoples[n 3] | 17 | |
| Mapuche | Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Santiago, O'Higgins and Maule | 1
|
| Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía | 4
| |
| Los Ríos, Los Lagos and Aysén | 2
| |
| Aymara | Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá and Antofagasta | 2
|
| Diaguita | Atacama and Coquimbo | 1
|
| Quechua | Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá and Antofagasta | 1
|
| Lickanantay | Antofagasta | 1
|
| Qulla/Colla | Atacama and Coquimbo | 1
|
| Chango | Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo and Valparaíso | 1
|
| Rapa Nui | Easter Island | 1
|
| Kawésqar | Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica | 1
|
| Yaghan | Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica | 1
|
Contesting parties and coalitions
71 lists of candidates were submitted and approved by the Electoral Service (Servel). Three run on all 16 regions of the country, including the three largest coalitions with parliamentary representation. 2 coalition lists and the 3 parties presented candidates in different regions, but not in all country. Other 63 lists of independent candidates were presented on a district level; however, some of them congregated on a national level, being La Lista del Pueblo and Independientes No Neutrales two of the main coalition of independent lists presented in several regions. 28 independent candidates run outside lists, acting as individual lists in each district.
In total, 1278 candidacies were presented for the at-large election.
| Coalition | Parties | Ideology | Political position | Previous election[n 4] | Candidates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Votes | Seats | Number | Regions | ||||||
|
Vamos por Chile Let's go for Chile List XP. |
Chile Vamos: • National Renewal (RN) • Independent Democratic Union (UDI) • Political Evolution (Evopoli) • Democratic Independent Regionalist Party (PRI) Republican Party (PLR) |
Conservatism Economic liberalism National conservatism Nationalism Liberal conservatism |
Right-wing Centre-right |
39.02% | 72 / 155
|
184 | 16 | |
| Logo | Lista del Apruebo List of the Approve List YB. |
Socialist Party (PS) Party for Democracy (PPD) Radical Party (PR) Christian Democratic Party (PDC) Progressive Party (PRO) Citizens (CIU) Liberal Party (PL) |
Social democracy Christian democracy Social liberalism Progressivism |
Centre Centre-left |
35.36% | 52 / 155
|
182 | 16 | |
|
Apruebo Dignidad Approve Dignity List YQ. |
Broad Front: • Democratic Revolution (RD) • Social Convergence (CS) • Commons (Comunes) Chile Digno: • Communist Party (PC) • Social Green Regionalist Federation (FRVS) |
Direct democracy Democratic socialism Socialism of the 21st century Green politics Communism |
Left-wing Far-left |
15.51% | 24 / 155
|
171 | 16 | |
| Lista del Pueblo List of the People Lists E., J., N., Q., S., WD., WJ., XC., XD., XJ., XT., YL., YP., ZD., ZE., ZI. and ZN. |
Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates | Anti-establishment | Left-wing Far-left |
New list | 149 | 15 | |||
|
Independientes No Neutrales Non-Neutral Independents Lists I., L., XR., YF., YS., YU., YV., ZA. and ZT. |
Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates | Big tent | Centre | New list | 127 | 12 | ||
| Logo | Partido Ecologista Verde Green Ecologist Party List XA. |
Green Ecologist Party (PEV) | Green politics | Left-wing | 1.30% | 1 / 155
|
76 | 8 | |
|
Partido de los Trabajadores Revolucionarios Revolutionary Workers Party List ZR. |
Revolutionary Workers Party (PTR) | Anti-capitalism Trotskyism |
Far-left | 0.08% | 0 / 155
|
52 | 5 | |
|
Unión Patriótica Patriotic Union List ZB. |
Patriotic Union: • Communist P. (Proletarian Action) (PC-AP) • Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) • Several smaller groups and movements |
Anti-imperialism Marxism–Leninism Left-wing nationalism |
Far-left | 0.86% | 0 / 155
|
52 | 4 | |
|
Ciudadanos Cristianos Christian Citizens List YX. |
Christian Conservative Party National Citizen Party |
Christian right Christian fundamentalism Right-wing populism |
Right-wing Far-right |
New list | 26 | 5 | ||
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|
Partido Humanista Humanist Party List XG. |
Humanist Party | Left-wing populism | Left-wing | 0.63% | 5 / 155
|
7 | 3 | |
|
Lists of independent candidates 33 different lists |
1.75% | 1 / 155
|
224 | 14 | ||||
| Independent candidates outside lists | 28 | 11 | |||||||
Notes
- ^ For the election of members for the Constitutent Convention, it will be considered the criteria for gender parity is not met if:
- in the case of districts with an even number of seats, the number of elected members of one gender is larger than the other.
- in the case of districts with an odd number of seats, when the difference in the number of elected members by gender is more than one.
- ^ Mapuche seats will be allocated in three different constituencies according to the place of residency of the candidates.
- ^ Election was held nation-wide. However, candidates were restricted to certain regions depending on their residency and the indigenous group they represent.
- ^ For comparison, only the election of members for the Chamber of Deputies is considered.
References
- ^ a b "Presidente Piñera promulga reforma que posterga elecciones al 15 y 16 de mayo". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
- ^ "Jubilation as Chile votes to rewrite constitution". October 26, 2020 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ "Acuerdo por la Paz y la Nueva Constitución" (PDF). Library of the National Congress of Chile. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Piñera promulgó reforma constitucional que posterga el plebiscito: "Era necesario"". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "President Piñera enacts laws regarding the elections on April 10 and 11". Chile Reports. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Arce Riffo, Javiera (2020-04-04). "Gender Parity in the Chilean Constitutional Convention: What Does it Mean for Chilean Democracy?". OHRH. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Pueblos Indígenas: Servel determinó distritos con disminución de escaños". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 2020-12-26. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Cifuentes, Patricia (2020-12-04). "A ley proyecto para facilitar candidaturas independientes a la Convención". El Mercurio. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "Ley 21.216: Modifica la Carta Fundamental para permitir la conformación de pactos electorales de independientes y garantizar la paridad de género en las candidaturas y en la integración del órgano constituyente que se conforme para la creación de una nueva Constitución Política de la República". Library of the National Congress of Chile. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Cámara aprobó escaños reservados para pueblos originarios, pero no para afrodescendientes". CNN Chile (in Spanish). 15 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Ley 21.298: Modifica la Carta Fundamental para reservar escaños a representantes de los pueblos indígenas en la Convención Constitucional y para resguardar y promover la participación de las personas con discapacidad en la elección de convencionales constituyentes". Library of the National Congress of Chile. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Cámara de Diputados rechaza cuotas para la diversidad sexual y de género en el órgano constituyente". Movilh Chile (in Spanish). 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Modifica la Carta Fundamental para crear distritos electorales en el extranjero, en los que los chilenos podrán votar y postular a la convención a que alude su artículo 131". Honorable Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados de Chile (in Spanish). 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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