An appeal made by the 17 bishops and Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez of the Catholic Church served to slow down the rush of a group of senators and deputies to reform the Constitution. Civil society sectors fear that behind the rush is the attempt by congressmen to extend their terms beyond 2002. The excuse would be to unify the presidential and congressional elections under the argument that holding two political campaigns in four years is too much for the economy. “There is nothing more dangerous and conducive to political and social instability in a democracy than that those that have the power act against the will of the majority. We all need to avoid the surging of unnecessary protests and disorder. We are making this warning when there is still time,” alerted the Catholic Church. Senator Dario Gomez (PRD-Santiago Rodriguez) had been expected to deposit a bill to reform the Constitution today in the Senate. President Hipolito Mejia named a special commission, coordinated by Monsignor Agripino Nuñez, to suggest reforms. The suggestions will be forthcoming in the first week of August.
