The International Seminar on Constitutional Reform began yesterday with a presentation by former Labor Minister Milton Ray Guevara who believes that a serious, serene reform, inspired in patriotic values, should be introduced. He said that such a reform would require some pre-planning to establish the method to be used. Venezuelan Allan Brewer Carias thinks that constitutional reforms in the 21st century should aim towards perfecting democracy and for this to happen, political decentralization is essential. Spaniard Santiago Catala Rubio stated that the Dominican constitution should be an efficient instrument for the social transformation required to eliminate poverty and redistribute wealth, offer equal opportunities and universalize academic and professional education. Dominican legislators don’t agree on President Leonel Fernandez’s suggestion for the inclusion of the referendum vote in the constitution. The presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Andres Bautista Garcia and Alfredo Pacheco, are in agreement with the President but Senate vice president Cesar Augusto Matias believes that with the implementation of the referendum vote, the country could end up having a new government every six months. He believes that this procedure would only work in developed countries – not the DR, as it could be manipulated by powerful economic sectors and the political opposition. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces minister favors a constitutional amendment that would allow the active members of the army to vote. In an interview with Diario Libre, Admiral Sigfrido Pared Perez made the distinction between participating in politics, from which members of the army are excluded, and the civic duty to vote in an election. He mentioned countries in the region that allow the members of the armed forces to vote, including Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Mexico.