Democracy goes direct [correction]

Chile’s new answer [View this email in your browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Whoops! Some system bugs sent by the rogue agents of capitalism crept into the last email and jumbled things up. Please accept our apologies and enjoy your newsletter as it was intended to be presented below. Hi there, An interesting chapter was entered into the annals of democracy this week. Chile, the sliver of bacon down the side of South America, on Monday [welcomed in the first draft of what might become its new constitution](. The nation will now deliberate before it heads to a referendum on 4 September — one in which all Chileans aged 18 or older must vote. The document set to be replaced has its roots in the brutal regime of General Augusto Pinochet, whose dictatorship reigned from his bloody coup in 1973 until 1990. In 2019, millions of protestors made it clear that they will no longer yield to those corrupt words and the government was compelled to hold a plebiscite to decide whether the constitution should be changed. In October 2020, an overwhelming 78% decided that it should be. But the main intrigue lies not in the why but the how. The responsibility of drafting the new constitution would fall to a citizens’ assembly. That is democracy how the Athenians intended it — direct action from the populace. Of course, given the Greeks had comparitively small town halls and didn’t allow slaves or (even more unthinkable to them) women to participate, things would have to be done a bit differently in contemporary Santiago. A 154-member constitutional assembly would be chosen to draw up the foundation on which the nation would govern itself. Who would sit on that body would be decided by the nation in another election. That vote was decided by proportional representation, the same system which South Africa uses which ensures even minority voices are heard. In addition, 11% of the seats were set aside for Chile’s indiginous population — a section of society largely hitherto ignored — while 50% of the seats had to be occupied by women. The resultant group was not just progressively diverse but contained a distinct lack of career politicians. “The Chileans called this ‘plurinacionalismo’ — plurinationalism — and their efforts produced clear results: the convention is the most representative body in Chile’s history,” writes [Steven Hill in Noema magazine](. “Not only are half of the delegates women, but many of its members are first-time office holders, including school teachers, shop owners, veterinarians, dentists, social workers, community activists, a car mechanic, a deep-water diver, a rural surgeon, a professional chess player and a homemaker. The average age of the elected members is 44.5 years (in contrast, the average age of a US senator is 64.3 years), while the oldest member is 81 and the youngest 21 years old.” In other words, the usual suspects — politicos, mainstream media, oligarchs and fat cats — were largely usurped. Chile, much like the rest of the world, has grown tired of the elites. The population can no longer stomach frail promises and pernicious prejudices. What they crave is genuine discussion that might result in tangible, real-world change. Which is not to say that the process has been seamless or perfect. Just because the assembly is unencumbered by political ambition does not mean everyone agrees. Issues of privatisation and nationalism, for instance, span the gamut of opinion. Some feel landowners should be fed like pigs, others feel they should be fed to the pigs (the exaggerated phrasing is completely our own). The innumerable debates over the past few months notwithstanding, the proposed document was delivered to Chile’s parliament, kicking off what will invariably be vociferous discussions leading up to 4 September. Already the document, which proposes 499 constitutional articles, is being touted as moving away from the free-market paradigm that has characterised the country for so long. (Chile, you might remember, has some of the [most exacting water privatisation laws on the planet]( “This is an ecological and equal constitution with social rights at its very core,” said Maria Elisa Quinteros, president of the constitutional assembly. Quinteros has been keen to insist that the whole process has been a victory for the people, regardless of whether her body’s draft is adopted or not. The whole process will provide much for scholars and media around the world to reflect on. In theory, the successes should be largely replicable in other democracies. South Africa, for instance, might not be in need of a new constitution but it is currently grappling with the increasingly severe question of how to reverse its trend of voter apathy and political disaffection. Returning (direct) power to the people would be a good place to start. Yours in solidarity, Luke Feltham [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2022 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. Our mailing address is: Mail & Guardian Media LTD 25 Owl St BraamfonteinJohannesburg, Gauteng 2001 South Africa [Add us to your address book]( Want to change which mails you receive from Mail & Guardian? 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