Santiago, June 21 (IANS) The Constitutional Convention responsible for drafting a new Chilean Constitution will hold its first session on July 4, President Sebastian Pinera announced.

Pinera on Sunday signed the decree calling for the inaugural session to draft a new constitution to replace the current one which was written during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, reports Xinhua news agency.

The President said that this "represents, without a doubt, a great opportunity to achieve these broad and solid agreements, which will give rise to a new constitution that will be recognized and respected by all Chileans".

The convention must present a draft within nine to 12 months and will then have another 60 days to hold a referendum, in which the public must accept or reject the document.

The call for a new constitution was ratified through a national referendum, in which 51 per cent of the population, or more than 7.5 million people, cast their votes.

--IANS ksk/