Published 20:49 IST, November 11th 2019
Chile Government to re-write the constitution from Pinochet-era
The Chilean Government has decided to re-write the Chilean constitution in order to replace one clause and dating it back to the Pinochet dictatorship
- World News
- 2 min read
The Chilean Government has decided to re-write the Chilean constitution in order to replace one clause and dating it back to the Pinochet dictatorship. The decision comes in order to meet the demands of the protesters who have been organising violent demonstrations on the streets of Chile.
Chile to re-write new constitution
The Internal Affairs Minister told the international media that all cabinet meeting, the president, the members of the cabinet and the other political allies reached a mutual conclusion that the Congress will take charge of rewriting the constitution. After the process is completed the document will be made public. During the press conference, he said that the process of rewriting the constitution will be focused on the goal of reconfiguring the social contract, which is the fundamental demand of the protesters.
Violent protests in Chile
The people of Chile have been protesting for the past three weeks demanding equality and response of the government on their fundamental demands. After three weeks the President Sebastian Pinera's government finally reached a decision. It was reported that during the protests there were at least 20 people who lost their lives and the number of people killed by the police and the militant forces stays undisclosed. Due to protests the city has suffered severe damages of life and property along with Santiago’s public transport which was vandalised and looted and later was put to halt.
Protesters demand social protection and more participation in democracy
The protesters have been demanding a new constitution. The present constitution dates back to the time of General Augusto Pinochet 1973-1990 which was formed on the bases of dictatorship regime and lacks legitimacy. However, the constitution has been amended several times, but the people demand that new clauses should be added to enhance social protection and also increase the participation of citizens in a democracy. Even though the opposition stands against the decison., they believe that the constitution has acted as a pillar of stability in times of distress and helped the economy evolve. The Government on the other hand will try and bring the changes as soon as possible.
(With inputs from agencies)
Updated 21:50 IST, November 11th 2019