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Tuesday November 6, 2007

Pastors propose submitting constitutional reforms to referendum

Trinidad Vásquez, MANAGUA, Nicaragua, June 9, 2005

The National Council of Evangelical Pastors (CNPEN) proposed that the government submit proposed constitutional reforms Taxi Heathrow Airport to referendum as a mechanism to overcome the crisis between the Enrique Bolaños government and the National Assembly.

"We ask that you recall that national sovereignty resides with the people and that it is necessary to turn to grassroots consultation mechanisms to keep the conflict among powers from growing worse," said Pastors Mario Espinoza and Palbo Sovalbarro, president and secretary general of CNPEN said in a press conference June 7.

The conflict between the government and Congress grew worse after the approval of Constitutional reforms in the National Assembly. According to the government, these reforms break down the balance among State powers. It opposed to the creation of bodies to regulate public services that government sources have said are presided by officials close to the Sandinista Front and the Constitutionalist Liberal Party, of former president Arnoldo Aleman.

The government did not recognize the appointments for the National Assembly for the Superintendency of Public Services and ordered the police to guard the telecommunications, water and electricity buildings. Meanwhile, the president of the Supreme Justice Court Manuel Martinez, said that the constitutional reforms and the appointment of the officials are obligatory and those who are opposed can be sanctioned with up to six years in jail.

According to the Evangelical pastors, "only respect for the people and the full exercise of their rights will allow the constitutional postulates to no longer be a utopia."

The pastor of the Baptist Church Carlos Villagra, warned that the country is experiencing a serious crisis that could end in social chaos and he called on to make their prophetic voice heard.

Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, in an event convened by the mayor of  Managua, Dionisio Marenco, called on government and opposition leaders to return to dialogue and find a solution to the crisis. If we do not resolve this problem, he warned, the situation could become more complicated and lead to violence.