Government spokesperson on the referendum: “Today marks the beginning of a real democratic reconciliation”
After participating in the cabinet meeting headed by President Piñera, Minister Jaime Bellolio highlighted the peaceful and high voter turnout in the referendum. He urged the political class to work together and use dialogue to resolve the urgent demands of Chileans.
“This is a bright, new day for the government: we are proud of a job well done. The referendum was conducted in the best way possible and voter turnout was extremely high”. Thus, the government spokesperson, Jaime Bellolio, praised voter turnout and the unfolding of the referendum.
Following the cabinet meeting headed by President Piñera, the minister emphasized that “some members of the opposition had criticized the government saying it would be rated by voter turnout. Well, yesterday we saw the results. A remarkable, overwhelming and peaceful voter turnout where millions cast their ballots and decided the future of our country. Every time anyone, whether man or woman, casts a ballot it’s a vote for democracy where there is no room for violence as far as Chileans are concerned.”
He added, “The overwhelming triumph of the approval vote and for a Constitutional Convention is a reflection on the members of Congress, on us here today in cabinet. It also mirrors the Chileans’ need and hope for change but brought about by different key players.”
In this regard, the government spokesperson called on the political class to collaborate through dialogue on how to meet Chileans’ urgent demands. “Today marks a fresh start of a truly democratic reconciliation. It’s the moment for unity and dialogue and not for division or feigned fights. Nor is it the time for some people, who never wanted a democratic reconciliation to happen in the first place, to now pretend to jump on the victory bandwagon.”
“On this point Chileans are very clear: they want changes to occur and want hope for the future. Therefore, I call on all of us to participate in a real democratic reconciliation, one where there is dialogue, where we collaborate on how best to meet the urgent demands of citizens. Petty politics only manage to alienate citizens from what real politics are meant to be in the realm of public life,” concluded Minister Bellolio.