MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Public opinion perception of corruption in Chile remains high

Survey shows strong support for electoral reform

Just over 30% of Chileans consider state corruption in Chile to be extensive; but this is down 23% from 2006.

The high incidence of public perception of corruption is in contrast with official rankings, which rate Chile as one of the least corrupt countries in Latin America and the world.

The survey, conducted by the Centre for Public Studies (CEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also found an 18% drop in the perception of “institutional corruption.”

Political parties continued to be perceived as the most corrupt (42%) followed by the courts and municipalities (both registering 28%) and congress at 25%.

Despite the high perception of corruption in political parties, 58% of those questioned in the poll believed democracy to be the best form of government.

The survey also found a significant public backing for electoral reform. Sixty percent of those surveyed supported automatic registration from the age of 18, up 13% from 2008, and 77% thought that the vote should be made voluntary.

Although registering a slight drop from 2008, 60% supported parliamentary reform allowing Chileans living outside of Chile the right to vote, without any type of restriction.

The survey comes ahead of the release of the new government’s first package of political reforms to parliament next week.

By Sarah Fisher – Santiago Times