The Interior Government, Nationality, Citizenship and Regionalization commission of the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies, began last Wednesday the discussion of the bill that establishes a second round in the elections for mayors and mayors.
The initiative, which modifies the Constitutional Organic Law 18,695 of Municipalities, seeks that the highest communal authorities be elected by a large majority and with great citizen support.
In the case of Ñuble, for example, 10 of the 21 mayors elected in 2021 reached office with less than 50% of the votes. Some even with only 30%.
Deputy Félix González (PEV), author of the motion, specified that “we know that there will be a second round election for the governors and governors, and that same day there may be a second ballot box to elect mayors in those communes where none of them has obtained more than 50% of the votes”.
The parliamentarian added that “many mayors will surely not like this, because it changes the rules of the game, especially those who are elected with few votes; it empowers citizens and allows them to choose between the first two majorities in a second round. This does not favor or disfavor any particular political force, it does not guarantee election to anyone. What it guarantees is that there will not be mayors or mayors with more rejection than support, as is the case in many communes of the country”.
dissimilar reception
At the local level, there are diverse opinions among mayors.
The community chief of Chillán, Camilo Benavente, stated that “it is a legislative proposal that is still under discussion, so we must wait for its progress in congress. In any case, any initiative that contributes to improving our democracy will always have the support of the community and those who have been elected by the will of the citizens. Today we need to strengthen and care for a system that has given peace, tranquility and progress to our country.”
Meanwhile, the mayor of Chillán Viejo, Jorge Del Pozo, highlighted the initiative. “I think it is a good initiative, because it seems to me that the more representation the authorities have, the more valid the management will be, which they will ultimately carry out when they are elected, so I agree with this initiative, and we hope it goes ahead, because it is one more step to strengthen democracy, which in these times and clearly, is seen by many things very weakened, “he said.
From the other sidewalk, the mayor of Bulnes, Guillermo Yeber, said he did not share the idea of the project.
“The circumstances of the current national political context, or the social reality of our country today are not enough to think about how to carry out electoral reforms with a political calculation. People are already tired of this way of legislating, making political calculations. The parliamentarians do not know what it is to be a mayor, I would ask them to be a little more serious about it, and that they also worry about seeing what our reality is for which we work in vulnerable communes, with deficits, where we make superhuman efforts to try to raising territories with a low budget, knocking doors everywhere, juggling finances to clean up years of mismanagement”, he stated.
He added: “I find that we are out of focus, and I would ask Congressman González to worry about the real things that are happening in our country, and that with this way of doing populist politics he does not burden the municipalities with more things. I find it unfair, and that it is not even a contribution. I also think that it would add more expenses to the State, I hope they reconsider and worry about what is important “