In Dominican Republic, government pushes for constitutional term limits

As leaders across Latin America sweep aside constitutional term limits to cling to power, the Dominican Republic is pushing changes to make it harder for authoritarians to stay in office.  President Luis Abinader said he will introduce constitutional amendments Aug. 16 to bar future presidents from extending their own terms. This would “lock in” the current system that only allows two consecutive four-year terms, he said.   The idea of the “indispensable man” has often permeated Dominican politics, leading to “dictatorships and authoritarian governments,” Abinader told reporters on Monday.  The country was run by a dictator, Rafael Trujillo, from 1930 until his assassination in 1961, and had indefinite reelection through 1994. In 2002, President Politico Mejia changed the constitution while he was in office to run for a second term, but lost.
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