MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lagos hails reforms as the “end of the transition”

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos hailed Thursday as a victory for democracy the approval by Congress of several amendments to the Constitution, inherited from the military regime, and which he described as the “end of the transition”.

This is a very important day for Chile. Twenty years ago we reached an agreement to make Chile a true democracy that was August 1985. Fifteen years ago saw the beginning of elected governments and now we can say that the transition (from military to civilian rule) has definitively concluded", highlighted President Lagos from Canberra, Australia where he's on an official visit.

"Now we have a constitutional text which is in accordance with the historic democratic tradition of Chile, and even more important is was unanimously accepted in the National Congress".

President Lagos said this shows that when there are issues above partisan interests, "Chileans can look far into the horizon and say that above all are the country's interests. Today is a great triumph for Chile, for its democracy, and we should be deeply pleased and celebrate".

The over fifty amendments introduced and approved unanimously, dismantle the "authoritarian enclaves" of the Constitution imposed on the country in 1980 by former dictator General Augusto Pinochet with the purpose of perpetuating the Armed Forces influence and tutelage in so called "strategic" areas.

The reforms, which were rejected for fifteen years by the conservative opposition, boost presidential power over the Armed Forces and entitles him to name and fire Commanders of the three services and Police; eliminates appointed Senate seats, usually awarded to military or police figures, and reduces the presidential mandate from six to four years.

The whole package of reforms will be ratified in a joint solemn session of both Houses next August 16.

"It has been a long way to discover that some kind of mutual understanding has to be made possible through government and opposition political parties", added President Lagos.

However a reform left out is the binominal electoral system which has been criticized since it forces the maintenance of large coalitions with 66% electing one member and 34% the other, in each district. Minority parties or groups are naturally excluded of the system.

But vice-president Francisco Vidal in Santiago said he was optimistic a reform to the electoral system will be achieved in the next presidential mandate.

"I'm convinced that in the next period we'll work out a more representative electoral system, which gives a chance to all political groups but privileges the majority respecting the minority and certainly not over representing the majority as is the case now", stressed Mr. Vidal.

But not everybody was satisfied. Tomas Hirsch from the Humanitarian party which has no congressional representation (4% of the electorate) argued that "we'll be able to talk of the end of transition when a constitutional assembly is convened and a new constitution is drafted which will effectively ensure democratic institutions, governance and the future of the country".