Chilean Prez urges public to vote in upcoming polls

Santiago, May 11 (IANS) Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has urged the public to vote in the upcoming landmark polls to elect councillors, mayors and, for the first time ever, regional governors and members of a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution.The elections are scheduled for May 15 and 16, reports Xinhua news agency."Without a doubt, these elections are very important, because they are going to mark the course of our country and our society for the coming decades," the President said on Monday, referring to the 155 members of the constitutional assembly.To facilitate voting, authorities will waive the requirement of obtaining a special permit to leave the house amid Covid-19 lockdown measures, and a curfew will begin at 2 a.m., Pinera announced.The much-anticipated elections are set to elect 155 constituents to draw up a new Constitution as a political solution to the social unrest that erupted in October 2019.Similarly, the Governors of each of the country's 16 regions will be elected for the first time.
--IANS ksk/