President Abinader is in favor of reforming the Constitution to limit the powers of the President. The government has convened the Economic and Social Council (CES) to open these discussions and 11 other proposed reforms.
The recent past Presidents have amended constitutions in the Dominican Republic to facilitate reelection. Joaquin Balaguer, Leonel Fernández, Hipólito Mejía and Danilo Medina all modified the Constitution during their terms in their benefit. Incumbent President Luis Abinader was elected under the 2015 Constitution that allows him to run again in 2024.
Art. 124 of the 2015 Constitution establishes that the President is elected every four years by direct vote. The President of the Republic may opt for a second consecutive constitutional term and may never run for the same office or for the Vice Presidency of the Republic. This change was incorporated into the 2010 Constitution that had established that the President could not be reelected for the next constitutional term. At the time it enabled then President Danilo Medina to seek a second term in office.
In 2019, then President Danilo Medina promoted amendments to the Constitution for a second time. With the second amendment, he sought a third term in office.
Now, President Luis Abinader understands the Constitution needs to be changed to limit the power of the President. He says he wants to convene the National Assembly so that a President cannot foster constitutional amendments that will benefit himself. He says that changes should only be made with the consensus of society as he proposes to do with his convening of the National Assembly.
In an interview with the El Caribe Media Group, Abinader warned that “A President with unbridled aspirations could do much harm,” he said.
President Abinader also wants to incorporate amendments that ensure the President does not have the last word in choosing the judges of the higher courts.
Once the rounds of the National Assembly are opened for constitutional reform, there are no limits to what can occur as the politicians in the National Congress are sovereign and have the vote to make changes they determine, with or without the collective consensus.
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El Caribe
Z101 Digital
Listin Diario
El Caribe
26 August 2021