Dominicans thronged to the beaches or to their favored recreational sites, or lazed in shady back yards, as the nation observed the 156th anniversary of it’s constitution. Between Saturday to Monday, the pace of life slowed progressively. As Monday progressed, few vehicles were moving through the hushed streets of the capital and other cities, as schools remained closed, along with government offices, banks, major businesses, and virtually everything except corner convenience stores. President Hipolito Mejia, together with his staff, cabinet members and half the Congress, traveled to the City of San Cristobal, twenty-five kilometers west of the capital – where on November 6, 1844, the first Dominican constitution was promulgated. Mejia, Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch, cabinet members, and top military brass, sat in a specially constructed reviewing stand and observed a military parade down San Cristobal’s main street, the first such event in forty years. Afterwards, Mejia convened a cabinet meeting in the Provincial government building, which had been spruced up in preparation for its high-level visitors. (7 November 2000)
