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| 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election | |
|---|---|
| Election name | 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election |
| Country | Chile |
| Type | legislative |
| Election date | 15–16 May 2021 |
| Seats for election | 155 seats in the Constitutional Convention |
| Turnout | 43.43% |
2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election was held on 15–16 May 2021 to elect 155 members to draft a new constitution following the 2019–2020 Chilean protests and the subsequent 2020 national plebiscite. The election followed political agreements among representatives of Michelle Bachelet, Sebastián Piñera, Gabriel Boric, José Antonio Kast, and other figures in the wake of mass demonstrations in Santiago, Valparaíso, and other regions, and it formed part of a constitutional process linked to the 1980 Constitution of Chile.
The election arose from the 2020 national plebiscite between options associated with leaders such as Daniel Jadue and Beatriz Sánchez, and negotiations in the Congress of Chile involving members of Christian Democratic Party (Chile), Socialist Party of Chile, National Renewal (Chile), and Independent Democratic Union. The 2019–2020 Chilean protests known as the Estallido Social involved actors including Mapuche conflict participants, Carabineros de Chile, and social movements inspired by international events such as the Arab Spring and the 2011 Chilean student protests. The decision to call a Constitutional Convention was the result of a cross-party agreement embedded in mechanisms of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile following negotiations between figures like Heraldo Muñoz and José Miguel Insulza.
The election used a proportional representation system with rules shaped by the Electoral Service (Chile), the Servel (Chile), and reforms influenced by precedents such as the 2015 electoral reform that affected the D'Hondt method and district magnitudes akin to arrangements in the Ley Orgánica Constitucional sobre Votaciones Populares y Escrutinios. The Convention comprised 155 seats including 17 reserved seats for indigenous peoples recognized under frameworks relevant to Mapuche people, Aymara people, Rapa Nui, Quechua people, and Atacameño people, with candidate lists subject to gender parity rules influenced by international norms such as those promoted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Development Programme. Voter registration and turnout processes interacted with institutions like the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic response under policy actors including Enrique Paris and public health measures adopted during the administration of Sebastián Piñera.
Candidates ranged from established politicians linked to parties such as the Socialist Party of Chile, Party for Democracy (Chile), Christian Democratic Party (Chile), Radical Party (Chile), Republican Party (Chile, 2019), Broad Front (Chile), and Communist Party of Chile to independents and constituent platforms associated with civil society organizations like Observatorio Ciudadano, indigenous organizations tied to the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI), and social movements with roots in the 2011 Chilean student protests and the 2019 demonstrations. Notable candidacies involved figures connected to Giorgio Jackson, Karol Cariola, Camila Vallejo, Franco Parisi, and grassroots personalities such as Roxana Miranda and Pablo Maltés. Electoral lists included institutional lists, electoral coalitions like the Apruebo Dignidad coalition, traditional coalitions like Chile Vamos, and numerous citizen lists and provincial alliances modeled after mechanisms used in other constitutional processes such as the 1987 Spanish constitutional referendum.
Campaign themes reflected demands voiced during the Estallido Social, addressing issues associated with pensions linked to the AFP (Chile) system, health proposals referencing reforms during the Michelle Bachelet administrations, indigenous rights connected to the Arauco conflict, environmental controversies including conflicts near Atacama Region mining projects and the Maule Region, and decentralization debates involving administrative structures in Santiago and regional governments like those in Valparaíso Region. Debates featured personalities from media outlets and institutions such as Televisión Nacional de Chile, Canal 13 (Chile), Universidad de Chile, and civic forums organized by groups like Fundación Ciudadano Inteligente; public safety, policing, and prosecutions involving Carabineros de Chile and the Public Ministry of Chile also figured prominently.
The results produced a plurality for independent lists and newly formed coalitions, with traditional parties such as Christian Democratic Party (Chile) and National Renewal (Chile) underperforming relative to expectations. The final composition included representatives from the Socialist Party of Chile, Communist Party of Chile, Broad Front (Chile), Republican Party (Chile, 2019), indigenous delegates representing Mapuche people and other nations, and a large contingent of independents and civic list members. Gender parity rules resulted in an approximately equal number of male and female constituents, and reserved indigenous seats ensured representation for communities connected to the Atacama Region, Araucanía Region, and Rapa Nui Province.
The Convention convened under the presidency of an elected constituent president and worked in sessions that involved parliamentary procedures similar to those in the Constitutional Council of Spain and deliberative norms compared to the Iraq Constitutional Drafting Committee (2004). The drafting process influenced legislative agendas in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and led to negotiations with presidential actors including Gabriel Boric and opposition figures such as Joaquín Lavín. The Convention's deliberations immediately affected financial markets, investment considerations in sectors like mining in the Atacama Region, and Chile's diplomatic posture with partners such as Argentina and multilateral organizations like the Organization of American States.
Domestic reactions ranged from support by social movements and trade union federations like the Central Única de Trabajadores to criticism from conservative parties including Independent Democratic Union and media outlets such as El Mercurio (Chile). International observers from bodies including the United Nations, the OAS, and academic institutions like Universidad de Chile and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile offered assessments comparing the Chilean process to other constitutional experiences such as those in South Africa and post‑dictatorship transitions. Analysts cited by outlets including BBC News and The New York Times highlighted the election's implications for institutional reform, indigenous recognition, and social policy, while market actors referenced credit ratings and sovereign risk assessments in forums like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Category:Elections in Chile