Former President Piñera reappears and proposes “elected citizen council” to draft a proposal for a new Constitution

After long months of silence, former President Sebastián Piñera reappeared publicly and assured that his political sector – Chile Vamos – will fulfill the promises around working on the elaboration of a new constituent process.
“We have a strong and clear commitment to a new and good Constitution. What does new mean? That we have to have a Constitution that is approved and analyzed in full democracy. What does good mean? Do not repeat the gigantic mistakes of the Convention that failed,” he told Channel 13. 
“Let’s go to the mechanism. I believe that there must be two fundamental factors. One is legitimacy and that requires the participation and vote of the people, therefore, we have to have an elected citizen council. Another is the quality of the Constitution,” he added.
As for the points agreed by the political parties to have a new 100% elected body that writes the proposal for a new Constitution together with a panel of experts, Piñera left it in the spotlight.
“We’re going to discuss that. The other thing is quality that has to do with knowledge, experience, experts. I think you have to combine the two. One way is for experts to participate before the Convention and, for example, to set a framework, the edges, the basic principles to be respected; or they may participate in the Convention. That’s what we’re discussing now,” he said.
“The other thing is the background. I think here deep down, we have to learn the lesson. It is very important that the new Constitution unites and does not divide Chileans, that it creates a political system that works, with the three independent branches of the State, respected, not as the previous draft Constitution intended to degrade the judiciary to a judicial system,” he added.
On the other hand, the former president ruled out his intention to return to be President of the Republic.

“I’m not in any mood to be a candidate. Yes, I will remain committed to public life, to the interests of Chileans, but from a second line,” he concluded.

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Original source in Spanish