This Sunday, June 9, the primary elections for mayors in 60 communes and for governors in two regions. Despite the fact that 96.4% of the polling stations have been installed, until the time of writing this note, the influx of voters has been minimal, despite the 4 million 844 thousand people who could vote. with an average of four votes per ballot box in the first hours.
Both the opposition and the ruling party have questioned the Executive for not having carried out a more effective information campaign. “The level of promotion that the primary had as a resource to resolve a candidacy, as a democratic mechanism, was weak, “I think there have to be more demands on Servel to promote the importance of the primaries.”questioned the general secretary of the Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona.
“I find it regrettable that a state election, this is not a voluntary lesson of the political parties, this is planned (…) as an electoral milestone to elect the candidates, in these cases mayors, there is not even a sign,” criticized the senator and president of Socialist Party, Paula Vodanovic, from his voting location in the Maule Region. This because “there has been no duty of information from Servel. “It seems shameful to me that the State of Chile does not invest in promoting a celebration of democracy,” he added.
This criticism was not new in the sector since, last Friday, at the meeting held by the presidents of the ruling parties, they had already accused that there was a “null information campaign” from La Moneda and Servel.
For his part, the current mayor of La Florida, Rodolfo Carterwho is in his last term, called on the residents of the commune to go to vote to avoid “embarrassment” and put at risk what they have built all these years.
Government for criticism
The Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalveresponded to these criticisms by pointing out that “The Government has announced that there are primaries”, but stressed the responsibility of the political parties in the call.
Meanwhile, the Minister Secretary General of the Government, Camila Vallejoadmitted that “sThere is always room for improvement” and highlighted that HThere is “institutional work that we do from the Government”, but “also by the parties and candidates themselves, who are the ones who have to move and excite”. At the same time, there is “a third part, which is the responsibility of the citizens themselves to also inform themselves.”
Carabineros Balance
For its part, Carabineros delivered the national balance of election day, in which nine people have been detained so far. All correspond to citizens who refused to be a table member, with the exception of an individual who had a current arrest warrant.
Finally, the polls will remain open until 6:00 p.m., hoping that participation will increase in these last hours.
