Confederation of Democracy

Between the opposition to the Popular Unity government, there were two opposing views. On the one hand the National Party ({{langx|es|Partido Nacional}}, PN) and the Radical Democracy ({{langx|es|Democracia Radical}}, DR) who saw the CODE as a way to definitively defeat the parties of the Popular Unity ({{langx|es|Unidad Popular}}, UP). The Christian Democratic Party ({{langx|es|Partido Demócrata Cristiano}}, PDC), together with the Radical Left Party ({{langx|es|Partido de Izquierda Radical}}, PIR) and the National Democratic Party ({{langx|es|Partido Democrático Nacional}}, PADENA), constituted for them a way of controlling the UP within the legal framework.

To do so, they took advantage of the opinion of the Electoral Court of June 6, 1972, which allowed the creation of electoral coalitions (or federated or confederate parties according to the legislation) in the elections of the National Congress of March 1973.{{cite web |url=http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=27652&orden=0&info=link |title=Sistemas electorales, partidos políticos y normativa partidista en Chile, 1891-1995 |author=Jaime Etchepare |work=Revista de Estudios Políticos |date=April 2001 |accessdate=21 July 2014 |language=Spanish}} This sentence repealed that of 1962 which prohibited general electoral pacts (only in the case of the election of senators since 1960 were allowed pacts, but these were also prohibited with another reform in 1962).{{cite journal |last1=Gamboa Valenzuela |first1=Ricardo |title=Reformando reglas electorales: La cédula única y los pactos electorales en Chile (1958-1962) |trans-title=Changing Electoral Rules: The Australian Ballot and Electoral Pacts in Chile (1958-1962) |language=Spanish |journal=Revista de ciencia política (Santiago) |date= |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=159–186 |url=http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-090X2011000200001 }}

His first action, albeit unofficial, was in the January 1972 by-elections at Colchagua and O'Higgins Provinces and Linares Department, in which the CODE defeated the UP and gained a senator and a deputy.

This coalition was formed by two federations of parties, both also constituted on 6 July 1972:

File:Federacion de Oposicion Democratica.png

• The Democratic Opposition Federation ({{langx|es|Federación de Oposición Democrática}}, FOD), made up of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), the Radical Left Party (PIR) and the National Democratic Party (PADENA). Its first board was composed by Eric Campaña Barrios (president), René Abeliuk (secretary) and Enrique Rodríguez Ballesteros (treasurer). Its symbol was a rhombus with the emblems of the three federated parties: the symbol of the PDC in its apex superior, that of the PIR in the left vertex and that of PADENA in the right, and the initials of the federation in the center.{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.cl/fsumarios/1972-08-18/18000001.pdf |title=Solicita inscripción de la Federación de Oposición Democrática y del emblema de la misma |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |date=18 August 1972 |accessdate=7 April 2017 |language=Spanish}} It was legalized by the Direction of the Electoral Register on September 22, 1972.{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.cl/fsumarios/1972-09-25/25000001.pdf |title=Declara la existencia legal de la Federación de Oposición Democrática |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |date=25 September 1972 |language=Spanish |accessdate=7 April 2017}}

File:Federacion Nacional Democracia Radical.png

• The National-Radical Democracy Federation ({{langx|es|Federación Nacional-Democracia Radical}}, FNDR), made up of the National Party (PN) and Radical Democracy (DR). Its first board was made up of Hernán Figueroa Anguita (president), Fernando Ochagavía Valdés (vice president), Carlos Reymond (secretary) and Diego Portales Frías (treasurer). Its symbol was a chain formed by three circles.{{cite web |url=http://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/media/1972/08/10/10000003-large.jpg |title=Solicitud de la Federación Nacional-Democracia Radical y emblema de la misma |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |date=10 August 1972 |accessdate=7 April 2017 |language=Spanish}} It was legalized by the Direction of the Electoral Register on October 2, 1972.{{cite web |url=http://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/media/1972/10/04/04000002-large.jpg |title=Declara la existencia legal de la Federación Nacional-Democracia Radical |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |date=4 October 1972 |accessdate=7 April 2017 |language=Spanish}}

The Confederation of Democracy was legalized by the Direction of the Electoral Register on October 6, 1972.{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.cl/fsumarios/1972-10-09/09000001.pdf |title=Declara la existencia legal de la Confederación de la Democracia |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |date=9 October 1972 |accessdate=7 April 2017 |language=Spanish}}

According to the results in the parliamentary elections of 1973 the CODE won the majority of the Chamber of Deputies, but did not obtain a two-thirds majority (100 deputies) that would have allowed him to block any constitutional reform and conduct an impeachment against President Allende. This last point was the objective of CODE.

After installing the new National Congress the CODE was dissolved, as said in their founding statute, which formally stated May 20, 1973 as the date of the formal dissolution.{{cite web |url=http://historiapolitica.bcn.cl/partidos_politicos/wiki/Confederaci%C3%B3n_de_la_democracia |title=Confederación de la democracia |author=Library of the Chilean National Congress |author-link=Library of the Chilean National Congress |work=Historia Política Legislativa |accessdate=November 2, 2013 |language=Spanish |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807231847/http://historiapolitica.bcn.cl/partidos_politicos/wiki/Confederaci%C3%B3n_de_la_democracia |url-status=dead }} However, the Electoral Register legally dissolved the CODE on July 5.{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.cl/fsumarios/1973-07-06/06000001.pdf |title=Cancela la inscripción de la Confederación de la Democracia |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |language=Spanish |date=6 July 1972}} On August 8 the National-Radical Democracy Federation was also dissolved.{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.cl/fsumarios/1973-08-10/10000001.pdf |title=Cancela inscripción de Federación Nacional-Democracia Radical |work=Diario Oficial de la República de Chile |language=Spanish |date=10 August 1972}}

The CODE's goals and program have been based on:{{cite book|language=Spanish|author=Friedmann, Reinhard|title=La política chilena de la A a la Z. 1964-1988|publisher=Editorial Melquíades|date=1988}}

• Liberty and labor rights
• Better freedom of speech and information
• Change of the Chilean Constitution
• Ending of the political violence and law and order policies
• Normalization of the political situation.

{{Reflist}}

Category:Defunct political party alliances in Chile

Category:Presidential Republic (1925–1973)

Category:Presidency of Salvador Allende

Category:Political parties disestablished in 1973