The Comptroller of Chile (supervisory body) confirmed this Wednesday that opened an investigation against the Government on public spending ahead of the constituent plebiscite on September 4after accusations of “interventionism” from various right-wing groups.
The comptroller, Jorge Bermúdez, explained to the media that this investigation seeks to “determine the correct use of public resources in this period” and could eventually lead to actions such as “a summary, a complaint to another institution or a trial of accounts.”
(Also read: Chile: they accuse the Boric government of campaigning for a new Constitution)
A week ago, a group of deputies from the far-right Republican Party requested the Comptroller to investigate the Government for campaigning in favor of approving the new Constitution, the second such accusation in less than a week against progressive Gabriel Boric.
A few days earlier, another group of parliamentarians from Renovación Nacional and Evópoli (right) filed a similar accusation accusing the Executive of having failed to comply with the prohibition that governs the State administration to campaign in favor of either of the two options of the next plebiscite 4th of September.
On that date, Chileans are called to the polls to decide if they want to approve the new Constitution, which began to be drafted in 2021, or if they prefer to keep the current one, inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) and partially reformed in democracy.
(Also: Chile: President Boric says what he will do if the new Constitution is rejected)
The Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, said that the opening of the investigation is synonymous with the fact that “institutions work”, but that his government has limited itself to “fulfilling the mandate” that “the law gives them”.
“The Government cannot use public resources, it does not correspond, to spread its preference regarding one or another option, but it does have the duty to inform and we will not give up our efforts so that all Chileans vote on September 4 informed,” added the president in statements to the media.
“It seems to me that they have no basis because the ‘disregard’ refers to not occupying public resources nor within working hours to demonstrate for a specific option and the Government has fully complied with that,” said Giorgio Jackson for his part. , Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
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The Government cannot use public resources, it does not correspond, to spread its preference regarding one or another option
Chile began the constitutional process as the political way to quell a massive wave of protests for equality that began in 2019 and left thirty people dead and thousands injured.
That year, while still a deputy, Boric was one of the promoters of the great political pact that allowed the constitutional path to be opened and he fervently defended the change, although since he has been president he has moderated his speech and assures that “it is legitimate to support either of the two” options.
For months, the polls gave as the winner the option of approving the new text -focused on increasing social rights- but now, the main polls indicate a greater citizen preference towards maintaining the current law.
*With information from EFE
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