President Piñera acknowledges defeat in the elections for the representatives of the constituent convention, governors, mayors and councilmen. | Photo: TeleSUR

Santiago de Chile, May 17 (RHC)-- The president of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, said this Sunday that neither the government nor the traditional parties are "adequately tuned with the demands and yearnings of the citizenship."

Piñera thus acknowledged the defeat in the elections for the representatives of the Constituent Convention, governors, mayors and councilors.  "We are being challenged by new expressions and leaderships.  It is our duty to listen with humility and attention to the message of the people," said the right-wing, conservative leader.

With more than 84 percent of the tables counted, independent and leftist representatives would obtain more than two thirds of the members of the Constituent Convention.  While the pro-government right wing, which presented itself with a united list, would be far from obtaining a third of the 155 seats in the Convention as pre-electoral forecasts indicated.

With these results, the pro-government sector could not achieve the necessary percentage to influence the text of the new Magna Carta and veto articles.   These results open the possibility for the new Constitution to embody the profound changes demanded by millions of Chileans in the streets after the social outburst of October 18, 2019.