Through a public statement and extending an invitation to “continue the democratic dialogue for Chile”, more than one hundred well-known supporters of Rejection pointed out that there are “structural problems” in the proposal for a new Constitution that will be submitted to a plebiscite on September 4 , problems that are not remedied, in the opinion of the signatories, with the agreement signed last week by the parties that make up the Democratic Socialism and Approve Dignity coalitions.
“Unfortunately, we the signatories here, believe that the constitutional proposal, although it advances in legitimacy and fundamental rights in accordance with the 21st century – which must be preserved – presents structural problems that put at risk the good care of our institutions and the stability of our Democratic system”.
The letter is signed by 104 characters from different spheres of national life, including former minister Soledad Alvear, academic Mario Waissbluth, former deputy Gutenberg Martínez, former constituent Felipe Harboe, actor Álvaro Rudolphy, architect Mathias Klotz and the writers Gonzalo Contreras and Carlos Franz.
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The signatories of the document point to what they consider to be three “fundamental problems”:
- The political system, which with an asymmetrical bicameralism and a presidential system that in practice grants almost all power to the Assembly of Deputies, weakens the separation of powers that is essential in any democratic political system.
- The proposed new Constitution carries a serious risk of politicizing the Judiciary, through the creation of a National Council of Justice with powers to appoint, evaluate and remove judges from their positions.
- The concept of plurinationality, based on a radical identity that ignores the long history of miscegenation in which our nation has been forged weakens democracy and the country’s unity.
All of the above, they say, “leaves us exposed to the fact that tomorrow a populism from the left, or from the right, so in vogue these days, will substantially alter the stability of our democratic system and, therefore, our coexistence.”
In this sense, they pointed to the official agreement that proposes a series of reforms in the event that the Approval triumphs in the Exit Plebiscite. “We believe that the belated reform proposal submitted by the Approve Dignity and Democratic Socialism blocs, in agreement with the government headed by President Gabriel Boric on August 11, do not resolve the points raised and maintain the political, economic and social uncertainty in where our country is”.
The supporters of the Rejection consider that “Chile deserves more”, and state that it is essential “to provide ourselves with a new Constitution that does not leave open flanks that make possible a weakening of the democracy that cost us so much to recover”.
Invitation to continue the democratic dialogue for Chile by The counter on Scribd
