Congress Passes Constitutional Reform Bill
Chile
20 diciembre 2019

On December 19, the Senate approved the reform bill enabling the constitutional reform process, which already had the approval of the Deputies who voted 38 votes in favor and 3 against. However, the senators rejected the opposition’s proposal for including gender equality and the representation of indigenous people in the constitutional process, which had also raised objections in the Chamber of Deputies. 

The initiative reached the Senate after being approved by the Constitutional Committee with 3 votes in favour and 2 against. The text modifies the fundamental charter with regard to the constituent process, establishing how the national plebiscite of April 26, 2020 will be carried out. This is when citizens will be asked if they want a new constitution and what kind of body should draft it. 

The regulations also refer to the Convention, which may be a mixed constitutional or constitutional body depending on the population’s decision, and states that its members will be elected on the same day as mayors, councillors and regional governors in 2020. 

Finally, it establishes the requirements and incompatibilities for a constituent convention to be elected, determining how it will operate as well as how the constitutional plebiscite to approve or reject the new constitution will be work.

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