DR: Court refuses to carry politicians' water

Supreme Court returns bill on electoral reform
As reported in the Listin Diario today, the Supreme Court of Justice has returned the Ley de Lemas bill to the Senate. According to the newspaper's source, the judges unanimously refused to issue an opinion on a bill that has only passed a first reading in a single house Congressional session. The source also says that if the court had rendered any judgement, either in favor or against the electoral reform, it would have prejudiced a matter that it may be required to rule on in the future in terms of the bill's constitutionality. The proposal is due to be reviewed in a second reading in the Senate today, from where it would be forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, who only have until Thursday, 12 February, the last day before the break of the current session, and return on 27 February. The electoral reform bill has met with widespread opposition from all sectors except a small group of PRD politicians who are keeping their aspirations to a PRD Presidential candidacy alive for the May 2004 election. The electoral reform bill would enable a single party to present up to five presidential candidates.