SANTIAGO – Chilean President Sebastián Piñera promulgated a constitutional reform on Friday that sets limits on the re-election of parliamentarians, mayors (mayors), councilors and local governors, after 14 years of discussion in Congress.
This new law establishes that the deputies may be elected consecutively in office for two terms only, of four years each, while the senators may be re-elected for one more term.
Regarding the governors, mayors (mayors) and councilors, the norm establishes that they may be elected successively for up to two terms.
[VIVO] Promulgación Reforma Constitucional para limitar reelección de autoridades https://t.co/XlqhDONAPy
— Prensa Presidencia de Chile (@presidencia_cl) July 3, 2020
The president assured on Friday in a message from the Palacio de La Moneda that this reform “contributes to the improvement of our democracy”, because the norm “interprets and responds to a broad and deep citizen demand for greater renewal, participation and transparency” .
He emphasized that this new law will facilitate “a greater renewal in positions of popular election”, as well as Chileans may have “greater equality of opportunities for all citizens to run for positions of popular election.”
During his message, Piñera assured that lately “we have observed a deterioration in the quality of politics, a weakening of some of our fundamental institutions and a distancing between citizens and politics and that is not good news and we all have an obligation to amend course.”
Finally, the head of state made a call to respect the Constitution, because in his opinion “there is no healthy democracy without separation of the powers of the State.”
