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All 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 of the 50 seats in the Senate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. |
Chileportal |
Parliamentary elections were held in Chile on 4 March 1973, [1] They resulted in a victory for the Confederation of Democracy, an opposition alliance led by the National Party and the Christian Democratic Party. However, they were unable to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate to remove President Salvador Allende from office.
The approval of Law No. 17,284 in 1970 led to a rise in voter participation. These elections marked the implementation of the reform on a nationwide scale, resulting in the highest level of voter engagement within the previous democratic system. Around 80.6% of the electorate (equivalent to 44% of the national population) were registered to vote, and 81% of the registered voters (approximately 3.7 million individuals) exercised their right to vote. [2]
Since the early 1960s, the Chilean economy had experienced sustained inflationary growth, which continued under the Salvador Allende government and was considered a major factor in the economic crisis of 1972. In response to inflation, the government implemented the Vuskovic plan, aiming to increase state control over the economy. Measures included nationalizing companies and setting official prices through central planning. These interventions resulted in low wages, product shortages and the emergence of a black market.
Additionally, the high inflation led to dissatisfaction among the upper and middle classes, as there was a significant expropriation of companies towards the private sector. This dissatisfaction culminated in the October 1972 strike, which aimed to halt expropriations, establish market-adjusted prices, and protect private property. [3] The government faced numerous social demonstrations against its policies and the high cost of living. The right-wing and the Christian Democratic Party largely supported and participated in these mobilizations, aiming to discredit the government's policies, socially isolate them, and pressure for policy changes and the government's resignation. [3]
On another front, the Allende government continued the agrarian reform initiated by previous administrations but on a larger scale. More than six million hectares of land were expropriated and distributed among thousands of peasants and small landowners in rural Chile. This led to increased social and political divisions within the country, as different social groups had contrasting views on the government's measures and progress.[ citation needed ] The discontent caused by these policies further polarized Chilean society. Ultimately, the country became divided into two major blocs, leading to a tense and polarized political climate.[ citation needed ]
The term length for Senators was eight years, with around half of the Senators elected every four years. This election saw 25 of the 50 Senate seats up for election.
Before the elections several political parties underwent internal divisions and splintered into smaller factions. While the majority of Christian Democrats led the Freiist faction, other groups formed the Popular Unitary Action Movement (MAPU) and the Christian Left, which later joined the Popular Unity. Dissident radicals from the central leadership divided into two factions, Radical Democracy, a traditional right-wing group, and the Radical Left Party, a moderate social democratic faction that initially supported Allende but later became opposition in 1972.
In anticipation of the elections, the Confederation of Democracy was established in July 1972. It was a coalition comprising center and right-wing parties including the Christian Democrats, National Party, Radical Party, Radical Democracy, and the National Democratic Party, all opposed to Popular Unity. Apart from these two primary electoral pacts, the Popular Socialist Union, a small left-wing group that had split from the Socialist Party, also participated in the elections.
The political, social, and economic crisis gave an apparent advantage to the opposition. The polls predicted a favorable outcome for them, ranging between 58% and 62%. The election results, therefore, presented a dual scenario: while the opposition retained the majority, the Popular Unity had obtained more votes than expected, reaching 44.03% against the CODE's 55.70%. Despite being referred to as a surprising result, the truth was that the percentage of votes achieved by the left-wing coalition was practically the same as what the same parties had obtained in the parliamentary elections of 1969 (43.84%). The resulting balance of power would prevent the Senate from constitutionally accusing President Allende.
Following the elections, allegations of electoral fraud emerged. A thorough investigation by the Faculty of Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile revealed significant electoral fraud, estimated to involve approximately 200,000 votes. This fraudulent activity was based on the use of false registrations and manipulation of records. [4] The allegations were examined by an Investigative Commission in the Chamber of Deputies, which was established on 24 July but ceased its operations when Congress was dissolved after the 11 September coup d'état. [5] Nevertheless, during a session of the Commission for the Study of the New Constitution, it was recognized that the Electoral Registers were practically ineffective and in need of purification. [6] Consequently, the registers were declared void by Decree Law No. 130 on 19 November 1973. [7] New registers were opened in 1987.
Party or alliance | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Total | |||||||||
Confederation of Democracy | Christian Democratic Party | 745,274 | 33.88 | 10 | 19 | |||||
National Party | 417,311 | 18.97 | 4 | 8 | ||||||
Radical Democracy | 47,992 | 2.18 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Radical Left Party | 34,334 | 1.56 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
CODE list votes | 14,432 | 0.66 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Total | 1,259,343 | 57.25 | 14 | 30 | ||||||
Popular Unity | Socialist Party | 392,469 | 17.84 | 5 | 7 | |||||
Communist Party | 380,460 | 17.29 | 5 | 9 | ||||||
Radical Party | 126,961 | 5.77 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
Popular Unitary Action Movement | 23,191 | 1.05 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Popular Unity list votes | 17,431 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Christian Left | – | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 940,512 | 42.75 | 11 | 19 | ||||||
Popular Socialist Union | – | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 2,199,855 | 100.00 | 25 | 50 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 4,510,060 | – | ||||||||
Source: Electoral Service, State Department |
Party or alliance | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confederation of Democracy | Christian Democratic Party | 1,055,120 | 29.07 | 50 | –6 | ||
National Party | 780,480 | 21.51 | 34 | +1 | |||
Radical Democracy | 70,582 | 1.94 | 2 | New | |||
Radical Left Party | 60,166 | 1.66 | 1 | New | |||
National Democratic Party | 13,349 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 | |||
CODE list votes | 33,895 | 0.93 | 0 | – | |||
Total | 2,013,592 | 55.49 | 87 | –2 | |||
Popular Unity | Socialist Party | 678,796 | 18.70 | 28 | +13 | ||
Communist Party | 593,738 | 16.36 | 25 | +3 | |||
Radical Party | 133,745 | 3.69 | 5 | –19 | |||
Popular Unitary Action Movement | 92,592 | 2.55 | 2 | New | |||
Christian Left | 41,589 | 1.15 | 1 | New | |||
Independent Popular Action | 29,972 | 0.83 | 2 | New | |||
Popular Unity list votes | 34,738 | 0.96 | 0 | – | |||
Total | 1,605,170 | 44.23 | 63 | +2 | |||
Popular Socialist Union | 10,287 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 3,629,049 | 100.00 | 150 | 0 | |||
Valid votes | 3,629,049 | 98.43 | |||||
Invalid/blank votes | 58,056 | 1.57 | |||||
Total votes | 3,687,105 | 100.00 | |||||
Registered voters/turnout | 4,510,060 | 81.75 | |||||
Source: Electoral Service |
The Christian Democratic Party is a Christian democratic political party in Chile. There have been three Christian Democrat presidents in the past, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Patricio Aylwin, and Eduardo Frei Montalva.
The Socialist Party of Chile is a centre-left political party founded in 1933. Its historic leader was President of Chile Salvador Allende, who was deposed in a coup d'état by General Augusto Pinochet in 1973. The military junta immediately banned socialist, Marxist and other leftist political parties. Members of the Socialist party and other leftists were subject to violent suppression, including torture and murder, under the Pinochet dictatorship, and many went into exile. Twenty-seven years after the 1973 coup, Ricardo Lagos Escobar won the Presidency as the Socialist Party candidate in the 1999–2000 Chilean presidential election. Socialist Michelle Bachelet won the 2005–06 Chilean presidential election. She was the first female president of Chile and was succeeded by Sebastián Piñera in 2010. In the 2013 Chilean general election, she was again elected president, leaving office in 2018.
The Independent Democratic Union is a conservative and right-wing political party in Chile, founded in 1983. Its founder was the lawyer, politician and law professor Jaime Guzmán, a civilian allied with Augusto Pinochet. Guzmán was a senator from 1990 until his murder by communist guerrillas on April 1, 1991.
Popular Unity was a left-wing political alliance in Chile that stood behind the successful candidacy of Salvador Allende for the 1970 Chilean presidential election.
Gabriel Enrique González Videla was a Chilean politician and lawyer who served as the 24th president of Chile from 1946 to 1952. He had previously been a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1930 to 1941 and senator for Tarapacá and Antofagasta from 1945 to 1946. A long-time member and leader in the Radical Party, he left the party in 1971 over its support for socialist president Salvador Allende. From 1973 until his death in 1980 he became an active collaborator and participant in the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, acting as vice president of the Council of State from 1976 onwards. As vice president of the council, he helped draft the current Chilean constitution of 1980.
This article gives an overview of liberal and radical parties in Chile. It is limited to liberal and radical parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme, parties do not necessarily need to have labeled themselves as a liberal party.
Salvador Allende was the president of Chile from 1970 until his suicide in 1973, and head of the Popular Unity government; he was a Socialist and Marxist elected to the national presidency of a liberal democracy in Latin America. In August 1973 the Chilean Senate declared the Allende administration to be "unlawful," Allende's presidency was ended by a military coup before the end of his term. During Allende's three years, Chile gradually transitioned into a socialist state.
The Communist Party of Chile is a communist party in Chile. It was founded in 1912 as the Socialist Workers' Party and adopted its current name in 1922. The party established a youth wing, the Communist Youth of Chile, in 1932.
Radomiro Tomic Romero was a Chilean lawyer and politician of Croatian origin, and candidate for the presidency of the Chilean Republic in the 1970 election. He graduated as a lawyer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC). He began his political activity in the Social-Christian circles of the PUC, and was one of the co-founders of the Falange Nacional in 1938. He became president of the party in 1946–1947 and 1952–1953. He was married to Olaya Errázuriz Echenique, and together they had 9 children.
The Radical Democracy, was a Chilean centre-right political party. The party, created in 1969, was dissolved in 1973, and reappeared in 1983 before disbanding permanently in 1990.
The Popular Unitary Action Movement or MAPU was a small leftist political party in Chile. It was part of the Popular Unity coalition during the government of Salvador Allende. MAPU was repressed during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. In this period, some of its most radical members formed the Movimiento Juvenil Lautaro, whose leaders were political prisoners during the dictatorship and with the return to democracy. Another faction of the former members of the party joined the social democratic Party for Democracy in 1987.
The Radical Party was a Chilean political party. It was formed in 1863 in Copiapó by a split in the Liberal Party. Not coincidentally, it was formed shortly after the organization of the Grand Lodge of Chile, and has maintained a close relationship with Chilean Freemasonry throughout its life. As such, it represented the anticlericalist position in Chilean politics, and was instrumental in producing the "theological reforms" in Chilean law in the early 1880s. These laws removed the cemeteries from the control of the Roman Catholic Church, established a civil registry of births and death in place of the previous recordkeeping of the church, and established a civil law of matrimony, which removed the determination of validity of marriages from the church. Prior to these laws, it was impossible for non-Catholics to contract marriage in Chile, and meant that any children they produced were illegitimate. Non-Catholics had also been barred from burial in Catholic cemeteries, which were virtually the only cemeteries in the country; instead, non-Catholics were buried in the beaches, and even on the Santa Lucia Hill in Santiago, which, in the 19th century, functioned as Santiago's dump.
The Presidential Republic is the period in the history of Chile spanning from the approval of the 1925 Constitution on 18 September 1925, under the government of Arturo Alessandri Palma, to the overthrow of the Popular Unity government headed by the President Salvador Allende on 11 September 1973. The period is concurrent with the "Inward Development" period in Chilean economic history.
A referendum on whether Augusto Pinochet, the head of a military dictatorship, should become president for eight years under resumed civilian rule was held in Chile on October 5, 1988. The "No" side won with 56% of the vote, marking the end of Pinochet's 16+1⁄2-year rule. Democratic elections were held in 1989, leading to the establishment of a new government in 1990.
The Chilean Social Democracy Party (Spanish: Partido Socialdemocracia Chilena, until August 1973 Radical Left Party was a Chilean political party of centre to centre-left orientation, formed by dissident Radicals in 1971.
The Confederation of Democracy was an electoral alliance of center-right Chilean political parties formed in July 1972. Its main purpose was to unite all the opposition parties of the Popular Unity government to face the parliamentary elections in March 1973. Its main objective was to optimize the collection of votes and seats, and accomplish the majority of Congress and thus obtain at least two thirds of the deputies.
The National Democratic Party, known by its acronym PADENA, was a Chilean political party. This party was one of the last political movements linked to the figure of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
Events in the year 1973 in Chile.
Allendism is an ideological current that bases its positions and lines on the government of Salvador Allende, former president of Chile who, together with the Popular Unity, ruled the country until the coup d'état of 1973, headed by Augusto Pinochet. Within the political spectrum, it is located between the left and the center-left, basing its principles on democratic socialism, institutionalism, and reformism. The followers of this current are called allendistas.