March 1891 Chilean parliamentary election

The March 1891 Chilean parliamentary election was held on 29 March 1891 during the Chilean Civil War, following the dissolution of the National Congress by President José Manuel Balmaceda. The election was called to establish a new Congress Constituent that would consider constitutional reforms and address the conflict between the executive and legislative branches.

The election took place under exceptional conditions. Balmaceda had closed Congress on 11 February after a prolonged dispute over the budget and the constitutional powers of the executive. By that time, forces opposed to the government had established control over much of northern Chile, and the country was already at war. The congressional opposition rejected the election as unconstitutional, while the government proceeded with it and subsequently convened the resulting Congress in Santiago.

The resulting Congress Constituent met from April to August 1891. It was dissolved after the defeat of the Balmaceda government in the civil war, and a separate parliamentary election was held in October 1891 by the victorious congressional authorities.

Background

The election took place amid an escalating constitutional conflict between Balmaceda and Congress. During 1890, Congress opposed the government's proposed budget and the continuation of the executive's control over public administration. The dispute intensified after the government attempted to continue operating under the previous year's budget when Congress failed to enact the budget for 1891.

On 1 January 1891, the executive and the congressional opposition openly disputed their respective constitutional authority. Congress subsequently supported the removal of Balmaceda, while the government maintained that the president remained constitutionally entitled to exercise executive authority.

Balmaceda dissolved Congress on 11 February 1891. On the same occasion, he called for elections to a new Congress Constituent. The elections were to be held on the last Sunday of March, with the new legislature scheduled to meet on 20 April.

The government retained the electoral law enacted in 1890 but modified several of its provisions for the election. Among the changes was the abolition of the voting booths that had recently been introduced as part of the secret-ballot system. The decree also authorized electoral boards to function with whatever members were present, reflecting the disruption caused by the civil war.

Election

The election was held on 29 March 1891. It occurred while the country was divided between the government-controlled territory and areas controlled by the congressional forces. The congressional opposition did not participate in the election as a normal political contest and instead rejected the process as illegitimate.

The opposition's delegation in Iquique declared on 1 March that the forthcoming elections were contrary to the Constitution and electoral law. It argued that the government had dissolved Congress unlawfully, had ordered the complete renewal of the Senate despite the constitutional system of partial renewal, and could not conduct elections in provinces outside its control. It also cited the imprisonment or concealment of numerous political opponents and electoral officials.

The result was therefore not a competitive election between the principal parliamentary parties. Contemporary and later accounts indicate that the process was dominated by supporters of Balmaceda, while opposition participation was largely absent. A later historical study notes that parliamentary elections nevertheless took place on 29 March without participation by the opposition.

Balmaceda subsequently stated in his address to the new Congress that the elections had taken place "in perfect peace" and with participation from voters in 20 of Chile's 22 provinces. According to his account, 30 of the 32 senators and 88 of the 92 deputies to be elected had been chosen.

The figures in Balmaceda's account should be understood in the context of the political dispute surrounding the election. The congressional opposition did not recognize the resulting legislature as a legitimate replacement for the Congress that had been dissolved in February.

Congress Constituent

The newly elected legislature convened in Santiago in April. Its preparatory sessions began on 15 April, and President Balmaceda formally opened its sessions on 20 April.

The legislature was formally known as the Congress Constituent because it had been summoned with the purpose of considering constitutional reform. Balmaceda's government presented the conflict with Congress as evidence of deficiencies in the existing constitutional system and argued that a new settlement was necessary to clarify the relationship between the executive and legislative branches.

The first president of the Chamber of Deputies was Eulogio Allendes; Adolfo Eastman presided over the Senate.

The membership included numerous supporters and collaborators of Balmaceda. The parliamentary records of the period identify many senators as members of the Liberal Democratic tendency, the political current associated with the government during the crisis, while other members were recorded without a party affiliation or as Liberals.

The Congress approved legislation granting extraordinary powers to Balmaceda and validating measures taken by the executive during the crisis. It also considered a substantial program of constitutional reform intended to alter the balance between the executive and legislative branches.

Among the proposed constitutional changes were restrictions on the postponement of tax and budget legislation, changes to the Council of State and the Permanent Commission, recognition of Congress's power to convene itself, and modification of the president's veto power.

The Chamber of Deputies approved the constitutional reform project in July, and the Senate approved it in general in August. The reforms were not ultimately implemented because the congressional forces defeated the Balmaceda government before the constitutional process could be completed.

Dissolution

The congressional forces defeated the government army at the Battle of Concón on 21 August and the Battle of Placilla on 28 August 1891. The collapse of Balmaceda's government brought the Congress Constituent to an end.

The Congress Constituent was formally in existence from 15 April to 18 August 1891 according to the records of the Library of the National Congress. Its dissolution preceded the final defeat of the Balmaceda forces at Placilla, reflecting the collapse of the government and its institutions in Santiago during the final stage of the conflict.

After the congressional victory, the victorious authorities did not recognize the March election as the basis for the new national legislature. Instead, they organized the October 1891 parliamentary election, which produced the Congress that operated under the postwar government of Jorge Montt.

Legacy

The March election was the only parliamentary election held during the final months of Balmaceda's government. Unlike the October election, which was recognized by the victorious congressional government and marked the beginning of the parliamentary era, the March election produced a legislature whose authority depended on the continuation of the Balmaceda government.

The election and the Congress it produced were consequently superseded by the political settlement that followed the civil war. The October election established a new Congress, while the parliamentary system that developed after Balmaceda's defeat remained formally based on the 1833 Constitution until the adoption of the 1925 Constitution.

See also

• October 1891 Chilean parliamentary election
• Chilean Civil War of 1891
• José Manuel Balmaceda
• Parliamentary era (Chile)