translated from Spanish: Luksic supports participation of independents in the constituent process, but without reserved seats

For businessman Andronic Luksic, the plebiscite on April 26, in which citizens must vote whether or not they want a new Constitution and the mechanism for drafting it, “is not another political choice.”
In an opinion column published in the newspaper El Mercurio, Luksic stressed the importance of independentparticipation in these elections, a debate that , in his view, “has lagged behind”.
In the publication, the entrepreneur made clear that he supports the participation of independents in the constituent process, “not with reserved seats, but with minimum conditions to participate without being forced to military in a party or to enter a pact”.
While the debate has focused on gender parity and reserving seats for indigenous peoples, “the debate on the need to ensure the participation of independents, who, according to all surveys, are the vast majority of the Chileans,” said the owner of Canal 13.
For Luksic, “the agreed premise is that the same electoral system that runs for the election of Members, which among other effects tends to favour parties and the formation of political blocs, must be applied. However, if a Constitutional or Mixed Convention is to be held, we will be choosing the members of an unprecedented instance in our history.”
“This is not, he continues, “a more political election, like any other mayor, deputy, senator or president. It seems key, therefore, to provide more opportunities for independents to compete, not with reserved seats, but with minimum conditions to participate without being forced to serve in a party or enter a pact.”
The president of the Quiñenco Group considers that “it is legitimate and respectable that there are candidates for the eventual Convention who are professional politicians, militants and ex-authorities, but in the midst of a crisis of confidence in the institutions could prove counterproductive to turn that entirely new instance into a kind of parallel Congress.”
Luksic argued that if the same rules of the election of deputies run, it is “very difficult” for a noun who does not form a political party to be elected out of the bargain. “What guarantees would an independent have to compete? For example, how do you resolve the TV strip issue to give spaces to those who are not part of a collective? How to prevent the electoral system from leaving out of an eventual Convention people who want to contribute, but who do not want to give up their autonomy or sign for a party?”
“I am not an election expert and I do not intend to be. Simply, as a citizen, I think it is important for current legislators to open the doors of this eventual convention to independents who have not competed in elections before or intend to run for other public office in the future, but who do aspire to be part of the discussion of a new Fundamental Charter,” he complemented.
Finally, Luksic would be a “contribution to transparency” of the process for those rules to be established before the vote on April 26.

Original source in Spanish

Related Posts

Add Comment