National Democratic Agreement
National Democratic Agreement Acuerdo Democrático Nacional | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2 July 1984 |
| Dissolved | 22 June 1985 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Ideology | Conservatism Nationalism Anti-communism |
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing |
The National Democratic Agreement (Spanish: Acuerdo Democrático Nacional, ADENA) was a Chilean political coalition existing between 1984 and 1985 that brought together parties, movements and supporters of the military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet.
History[edit]
Grupo de los Ocho[edit]
In the context of political openness fostered by the Minister of the Interior, Sergio Onofre Jarpa, Government-supporter parties decided to join as a counterpart to the emergence of opposition forces such as the Democratic Alliance (centre-left) and the People's Democratic Movement (revolutionary left).
Originally 8 parties organised -hence its original name, the Group of Eight (Grupo de los Ocho), characterized by their heterogeneity -they range from the nationalist right to democratic socialism- but shared its legitimacy to existing institutions after the enactment of the 1980 Constitution and the defense of the coup of 1973.[1][2][3] These parties and movements were:[4]
- Radical Democracy (Democracia Radical, DR)
- National Action Movement (Movimiento de Acción Nacional, MAN)
- National Union Movement (Movimiento de Unión Nacional, MUN)
- Social Christian Movement (Movimiento Social Cristiano, MSC), breakaway faction of the Christian Democratic Party led by Juan de Dios Carmona and William Thayer.
- National Democratic Party (Partido Democrático Nacional, PADENA)
- National Party (Partido Nacional, PN)
- Democratic Socialist Workshops (Talleres Socialistas Democráticos, TSD), former socialist and radical militants under the leadership of Luis Ángel Santibáñez.
- Independent Democratic Union (Unión Demócrata Independiente, UDI)
Foundation and development[edit]
As expected, the lack of cohesion and consensus within the conglomerate led to the UDI, the PADENA and PN withdraw the coalition in July 1984.[1][5][6] The remaining five members decided to meet in the National Democratic Agreement, officially constituted on 2 July with the aim of proposing the necessary reforms to allow for a peaceful transition to democracy.[7][8] They chose Juan de Dios Carmona as chief of their executive committee.[1]
ADENA proposals -also made by the Group of Eight in May of that same year- consisted of:[6][9]
- Enactment of the Law on Political Parties before 1984 ended.
- Call for a plebiscite in 1985 with the purpose of consulting the public the option to call earlier for parliamentary elections (planned for 1989).
- Conducting parliamentary elections and installation of Congress in 1986.
It had its own newspaper: La Contra, which circulated with just a single trial edition on 5 September 1984. This publication described the ADENA as «a grouping of centre-right, the only party that has submitted to the government some motions designed to expedite the return to democracy through a secure and continuous process peacefully».[10]
On September 28, 1984 the Social Democratic Workers Movement (Movimiento Obrero Socialdemócrata) and a splinter group of the PADENA led by Apollonides Parra joined the ADENA.[11]
The categorical rejection of Pinochet to early elections and its proposed law on political parties -rejected by all sectors- led to the failure of the ADENA, which was dissolved on June 22, 1985, after the authorities lifted the state of siege in the country.[1][12][13]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Friedmann, Reinhard (1988). La Política Chilena de la A a la Z (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile: Melquíades.
- ^ "Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ William Thayer A. "La apertura política" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ Juan Velarde. "Informe sobre Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ "Los siete pecados capitales". Apsi (in Spanish). 17 July 1984. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Los partidos tradicionales de Chile no aceptan la Constitución de Pinochet". El País (in Spanish). 2 August 1984. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ "UDI y Grupo de los Ocho" (PDF). Ercilla (in Spanish). 11 July 1984. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ Vicaría de la Solidaridad (3 July 1984). "Resumen de Prensa" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ María Angélica Bulnes (14 May 1984). "Los partidos proponen una apertura democrática en Chile". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ "AÑO I, Nº 00". La Nación (in Spanish). 30 November 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ Vicaría de la Solidaridad (29 September 1984). "Resumen de Prensa" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ Carlos Huneeus. "La dinámica de "los nuevos autoritarismos": Chile en una perspectiva comparada" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ "Ruptura de ADENA". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 1985. Retrieved 24 July 2016.