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2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election

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2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election

15–16 May 2021

155 seats in the Chilean Constitutional Convention
Registered14,900,190
Turnout43.43%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Vamos por Chile Apruebo Dignidad The List of the People
Seats won 37 28 26
Popular vote 1,174,502 1,070,361 927,603
Percentage 20.6% 18.7% 16.2%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Lista del Apruebo Non-Neutral Independents Independent candidates/lists
Seats won 25 11 11
Popular vote 825,397 473,194 884,295
Percentage 14.5% 8.3% 15.5%

Results of the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election.[1]

An election for the members of the Constitutional Convention was held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021.[2] This election was called after 78% of voters in the 2020 national plebiscite voted to write a new Constitution through this method.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] The extension of the pandemic forced the government to change the date of the election twice later: in March 2021, the election was extended to two days (10 and 11 April)[6] and later, it was postponed by one month to 15 and 16 May 2021 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.[2]

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 itself were designed to ensure gender parity in the Convention, being the first assembly of this kind in the world with equal representation of men and women.[7]

The election's results were considered a surprise and a complete rearrangement of the political system in Chile established since the end of Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990. A large share of elected members (65 out of 155) were independent candidates organized in new lists (26 from the anti-establishment People's List, 22 others and 17 indigenous representatives). Although Chile Vamos, the governing alliance, was the most voted list in the country, it represented the lowest results in Chilean modern history for right-wing politics, not even reaching the third of members needed to veto in the Convention.[8][9] The successor to Concertación, the main centre-left alliance, finished in fourth place, being surpassed by the alliance made by the leftist Communist Party and the Broad Front.[10] The List of the People, an anti-establishment list of independent candidates, finished in third place.

Electoral system

[edit]
Ballots used for the Constitutional Convention election: beige ballot for at-large election in the 10th district (left) and green ballot for Mapuche reserved seats. (right).
Ballot box used in the 2021 Constitutional Convention election.

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.[11] 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 the 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).[12]

Seats were allocated using the D'Hondt method, just like in the parliamentary elections. In April 2020, a constitutional reform made some adjustments 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 with a woman, followed by a man, and so on.[13]

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 Congress.[14] 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 choose 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.[15]

Each list also had to present candidates with disabilities 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.[16][17]

Electoral districts

[edit]
District number Geographical area Seats
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

[edit]

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 the country. Other 63 lists of independent candidates were presented on a district level; however, some of them congregated on a national level, being The List of the People, Non-Neutral Independents, and Constituent Social Movements, three 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
  Logo 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
Centre-right

Right-wing

Far-right[18]

39.02%
72 / 155
184 16
  Lista del Apruebo
List of the Approve
List YB.
Constituent Unity:
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
  Logo Apruebo Dignidad
Approve Dignity
List YQ.
Broad Front:
Democratic Revolution (RD)
Social Convergence (CS)
Commons (Comunes)
UNIR Movement (Movimiento UNIR)
Common Force (FC)
Chile Digno:
Communist Party (PC)
Social Green Regionalist Federation (FRVS)
Libertarian Left
Equality Party (PI)
Direct democracy
Democratic socialism
Socialism of the 21st century
Green politics
Communism
Left-wing
Far-left[19]
15.51%
24 / 155
171 16
  Logo La Lista del Pueblo
The List of the People
Lists E., G., 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[20]

New list 155 15
  Logo Independientes No Neutrales
Non-Neutral Independents
Lists I., L., XR., YF., YU., YV., ZA. and ZT.[n 5]
Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates Progressivism Centre New list 121 12
  Partido Ecologista Verde
Green Ecologist Party
List XA.
Green Ecologist Party (PEV) Green politics Left-wing
Centre-left
1.30%
1 / 155
76 8
  Movimientos Sociales Constituyentes
Constituent Social Movements
Lists T., XI., YK., YT., YU., ZH., ZK. and ZL.[21][n 5]
Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates Left-wing New list 60 4
  Logo Partido de Trabajadores Revolucionarios
Revolutionary Workers Party
List ZR.
Revolutionary Workers Party (PTR) Anti-capitalism
Trotskyism
Far-left 0.08%
0 / 155
52 5
  Logo 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
  Logo 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
  Logo Partido Humanista
Humanist Party
List XG.
Humanist Party Left-wing populism Left-wing 0.63%
5 / 155
7 3
  Lists of independent candidates
29 different lists
1.75%
1 / 155
164 13
Independent candidates outside lists 28 11

Results

[edit]

By alliance/pact

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats
At-large
Vamos por Chile1,174,50220.5637
Apruebo Dignidad1,070,36118.7428
The List of the People927,60316.2426
Lista del Apruebo825,39714.4525
Non-Neutral Independents473,1948.2911
Constituent Social Movements243,9864.273
Green Ecologist Party194,7833.410
Revolutionary Workers Party52,4210.920
Patriotic Union42,1350.740
Christian Citizens37,4790.660
Humanist Party29,0840.510
Other independent lists408,2897.157
Independents232,0204.061
Total5,711,254100.00138
Valid votes5,711,25492.28
Invalid votes187,7603.03
Blank votes289,7134.68
Total votes6,188,727100.00
Indigenous seats
Indigenous seats: Mapuche217,88483.027
Indigenous seats: Aymara19,2417.332
Indigenous seats: Diaguita11,2394.281
Indigenous seats: Lickanantay6,7722.581
Indigenous seats: Colla2,1380.811
Indigenous seats: Quechua2,0760.791
Indigenous seats: Rapa Nui1,8710.711
Indigenous seats: Chango9100.351
Indigenous seats: Kawésqar2490.091
Indigenous seats: Yaghan610.021
Total262,441100.0017
Valid votes262,44192.59
Invalid votes5,3121.87
Blank votes15,6865.53
Total votes283,439100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,239,29522.87
Total turnout
All parties and indigenous candidates5,973,695100.00155
Total5,973,695100.00155
Valid votes5,973,69592.30
Invalid votes193,0722.98
Blank votes305,3994.72
Total votes6,472,166100.00
Registered voters/turnout14,900,19043.44
Source: SERVEL

By party

[edit]
Party or allianceVotes%Seats
Vamos por ChileIndependent Democrat Union447,0327.8317
National Renewal413,0577.2315
Evópoli255,0694.475
Republican Party59,3441.040
Apruebo DignidadDemocratic Revolution342,1995.999
Communist Party of Chile285,2164.997
Social Convergence184,3203.236
Social Green Regionalist Federation99,4111.744
Comunes91,6591.601
Equality Party67,5561.181
The List of the PeopleThe List of the People861,58015.0923
Insular and Independent27,0640.471
Constituent Assembly of Atacama18,4270.321
Social Coordinator of Magallanes9,5100.171
Tarapacá United People5,9780.100
A Pulso, For a Good Life5,0440.090
Lista del AprueboSocialist Party of Chile276,4554.8415
Christian Democratic Party208,3393.652
Party for Democracy147,3562.583
Liberal Party of Chile71,2831.253
Radical Party of Chile67,4111.181
Progressive Party32,9170.581
Citizens21,6360.380
Non-Neutral IndependentsIndependents for the New Constitution458,8688.0311
Non Neutral from Magallanes4,2450.070
Independents and Social Movements of the Approval10,0810.180
Other independent listsConstituent Popular Assembly35,7780.631
Independents from the North Movement31,4900.551
Independents with Chile28,9470.510
Independents without Sponsors27,9130.490
Biobío without Parties24,5420.430
Independents from Coquimbo Region23,7330.421
Independents of the Approval - Coquimbo Region23,6120.410
Autonomous Social Movements22,8810.401
Independent Flows20,8060.361
Independents like You17,8320.310
Sixth Region United16,3810.290
Citizen Decision13,2140.230
Independent Community of Maule11,4390.200
Independents of Tarapacá11,0810.191
"Ven Seremos" Independent Community10,7920.190
Independent Citizen Regionalism10,1730.181
Independent Chile9,9590.170
Citizen Sovereignty9,9010.170
List for Social Justice9,7100.170
Social Birth Independent List8,6740.150
Our Voices6,0440.110
Join Now5,9060.100
Noble Childs of Tarapacá5,5190.100
Independent Energy5,3200.090
Arica, Always Arica4,5710.080
Social and Union Autonomy Tarapacá3,4490.060
We are all Patagonia3,2980.060
Magallanes Republic of Independents3,2440.060
Self-Convened Council2,0800.040
Constituent Social MovementsConstituent Social Movements212,3243.723
Independents and Social Movements of the Approval31,6620.550
Green Ecologist Party194,7833.410
Revolutionary Workers Party52,4210.920
Patriotic Union42,1350.740
Christian CitizensChristian Conservative Party27,2830.480
National Citizen Party10,1960.180
Humanist Party29,0840.510
Independents232,0204.061
Total5,711,254100.00138
Valid votes5,711,25492.28
Invalid votes187,7603.03
Blank votes289,7134.68
Total votes6,188,727100.00
Source: SERVEL

Indigenous seats

[edit]
Indigenous people Valid votes Invalid
votes
Blank
votes
Valid
votes
Eligible
voters
Turnout Candidates Seats
Votes %
Mapuche 217,884 91.94% 4,620 14,485 236,989 1,063,980 22.27% 39 7
Aymara 19,241 95.35% 305 634 20,180 75,743 26.64% 18 2
Diaguita 11,239 96.83% 138 230 11,607 53,887 21.54% 5 1
Lickanantay 6,772 96.37% 109 146 7,027 22,569 31.14% 8 1
Colla 2,138 96.70% 19 54 2,211 9,183 24.08% 8 1
Quechua 2,076 95.05% 55 53 2,184 7,661 28.51% 4 1
Rapa Nui 1,871 95.22% 33 61 1,965 3,623 54.24% 4 1
Chango 910 94.89% 28 21 959 1,951 49.15% 3 1
Kawésqar 249 99.60% 1 0 250 528 47.35% 5 1
Yaghan 61 91.04% 4 2 67 170 39.41% 1 1
Total 262,441 92.59% 5,312 15,686 283,439 1,239,295 22.87% 95 17

Composition

[edit]
  • Gender: 78 men and 77 women were elected. Due to the corrections applied to ensure gender parity in each constituency, 4 women and 7 men were elected replacing a different-sex member of their own list with a larger number of votes.[22]
  • Age: The age average of the elected members was 44.5 years. The oldest member was 78 years old at the time of the election, while the youngest was 21 years old.[23]
  • Occupation: 59 of the elected members are lawyers and additional 7 were law students. 20 elected members were teachers, 9 were engineers and 5 were journalists. 6 elected members were former members of Congress and 9 were former government authorities.[23]
  • LGBT: At least 7 of the 155 elected members of the Convention declared to be part of a gender or sexual minority.[24]

Members

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ For the election of members for the Constitutional 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.
  2. ^ Mapuche seats will be allocated in three different constituencies according to the place of residency of the candidates.
  3. ^ Election was held nation-wide. However, candidates were restricted to certain regions depending on their residency and the indigenous group they represent.
  4. ^ For comparison, only the election of members for the Chamber of Deputies is considered.
  5. ^ a b List YU is shared between Non-Neutral Independents and Constituent Social Movements to reduce dispersion of votes: candidates Jocelyn Durán and Esteban Quiroz are affiliated with NNI and the 6 other candidates of the list to MSC.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "SERVEL". www.servelelecciones.cl. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Jubilation as Chile votes to rewrite constitution". BBC News. October 26, 2020.
  4. ^ "Acuerdo por la Paz y la Nueva Constitución" (PDF). Library of the National Congress of Chile. 15 November 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-10-13. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Piñera promulgó reforma constitucional que posterga el plebiscito: "Era necesario"". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  6. ^ "President Piñera enacts laws regarding the elections on April 10 and 11". Chile Reports. Archived from the original on 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  7. ^ Arce Riffo, Javiera (2020-04-04). "Gender Parity in the Chilean Constitutional Convention: What Does it Mean for Chilean Democracy?". OHRH. Archived from the original on 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  8. ^ "Chile chooses independents to draft new constitution". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  9. ^ "Chile's govt in shock loss as voters pick independents to draft constitution". Reuters. 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  10. ^ Montes, Rocío (2021-05-16). "Los chilenos castigan a los partidos políticos en sus elecciones constituyentes". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  11. ^ "Pueblos Indígenas: Servel determinó distritos con disminución de escaños". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 2020-12-26. Archived from the original on 2020-12-27. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  12. ^ Cifuentes, Patricia (2020-12-04). "A ley proyecto para facilitar candidaturas independientes a la Convención". El Mercurio. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  13. ^ "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. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Cámara aprobó escaños reservados para pueblos originarios, pero no para afrodescendientes". CNN Chile (in Spanish). 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  15. ^ "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. Archived from the original on 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  16. ^ "Cámara de Diputados rechaza cuotas para la diversidad sexual y de género en el órgano constituyente". Movilh Chile (in Spanish). 2019-12-20. Archived from the original on 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  17. ^ "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. Archived from the original on 2000-03-01. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  18. ^ Maroto, Marta (2019-06-24). "La ultraderecha chilena se reúne con Vox para luchar contra el "marxismo cultural"". ElDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  19. ^ "Chile chooses independents to draft new constitution".
  20. ^ "Chile empieza a escribir una nueva página de su historia con múltiples desafíos". France24 (in Spanish). 2021-05-18.
  21. ^ "Candidatos". Movimientos Sociales Constituyentes. Archived from the original on 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  22. ^ Toro, Daniela (2021-05-17). "Cómo funcionó la paridad: Los nombres de los y las constituyentes que fueron beneficiados por el mecanismo". EMOL. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  23. ^ a b Cádiz, Pablo; Rojas Yeza, Sebastián. "Principalmente abogados y con 44 años de edad promedio: la Convención Constitucional en Cifras". T13. Archived from the original on 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  24. ^ "Chile celebra Día Contra la Homofobia tras la elección de constituyentes LGBT". www.terra.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-19.