BY NANCY SAN MARTIN

 A move to revamp the Dominican Republic's Constitution that would cancel upcoming legislative elections is stirring up heated debate in what some observers are calling a ``threat to democracy.''

 Most of the controversy focuses on revisions that would add two years to the terms of sitting lawmakers and do away with the upcoming May election -- the first to allow voters to choose their candidates by districts rather than by party.

 In addition, if approved, President Hipolito Mejía could seek a second term, a practice that was eliminated in 1994 because of vote irregularities involving former President Joaquín Balaguer.

 A Constitutional Reform Committee, established by the national legislature, will meet as early as Saturday to determine the fate of the proposed ``constitutional reform
 bill.''

 `COUP D'ETAT'

 ``The most worrying thing is that it would extend the terms by two years without a vote,'' said Francisco Domínguez Brito, former district attorney of Santo Domingo and a candidate in May's election. ``That would be like a constitutional coup d'etat. It doesn't take into account the will of the people and creates an ambience of suspicion.''

 Mejía has not publicly stated his position on the constitutional changes. Many believe he supports the proposals because they would give his party -- the left-of-center Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) -- control of the executive and legislative branches of government at least through the next presidential election in 2004.

 Though Mejía has said he does not intend to seek reelection, the PRD has been promoting the idea.

 Critics say the effort to change the law runs contrary to an accord reached in 1994 among the three major parties and then-President Balaguer.

 At the time, Balaguer defeated his long-time nemesis, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez.

 But allegations of vote fraud were so widespread that Balaguer was forced to accept a compromise under which he would serve only half the four-year term and not seek reelection in 1996.

 ``What is at issue here is whether the agreement signed [in 1994] by the three major parties is respected,'' said Flavio Darío Espinal, a political science professor in Santo Domingo and a former ambassador to the OAS in Washington. ``That is what will help the process of consensus-building.''

 A CRISIS

 ``If it [the changes] take place, it will create a constitutional crisis,'' he said.

 The U.S. ambassador in Santo Domingo, Hans H. Hertell, also issued a statement Thursday citing a portion of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which states that ``essential elements of representative democracy include . . . the holding of periodic, free and fair elections . . .

 ``We share the reservations . . . regarding the possible extension of terms of the sitting legislators,'' the statement said.

                                    © 2001