Chile's Right-Wing Dominates Constitutional Reform Process

The far-right Republican Party has won the most seats in Chile's constitutional assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution to replace the one brought in during the military rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet. The previous assembly's draft was rejected in a referendum last year. The Republican Party secured 22 out of the 51 seats, with right-wing parties winning another 11 seats. The new body will face an uphill struggle to reconcile the ideas of its conservative majority with the clamour for change which triggered the process in the first place. The new constitution will start its work in June and has been allocated five months to come up with a fresh constitution based on a blueprint drafted by experts.