Chile's Pinera says will ask Congress to postpone election due to Covid-19

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said on Sunday he will ask Congress to postpone the election of an assembly to write a new constitution for the country from April until May, due to a rise in coronavirus cases.

The country has seen a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections since the end of Southern Hemisphere summer vacation season last month.

"The elections that were to be held on Saturday April 10 and Sunday April 11, will be held on the weekend of Saturday the 16th of May," Pinera said in a televised speech.

The vote is to elect not only members of the Constituent Assembly, in charge of writing a fresh constitution, but governors and mayors as well.

"This has been a very difficult decision, but we must take it. We have the full conviction that it is what's best for the country," the president said.

The timing of the November 21 congressional and presidential election was not changed.