I read this as well, it is really hard to make sense out of it. By the time I get half way through my eyes start to cross.

A link to the original article would have been helpful, but I take it to mean the Assembly needs an extension to finish work on the constitution, and a panel of jurists has been selected to assist with the task.

Personally, I don't think they're make it, even with an extention. Rewriting the Constitution in only a year was highly optimistic, and really no more than a dream when you look at who was chosen for the job.

The futility of it is clear when you consider the kind of proposals they've tabled: woman's right to sexual satisfaction; changing the flag; constitutional rights for animals - just a few examples of how time has been wasted.

Writing a constitution is serious business. It is the principal legal document of the land which acts as a fundamental reference for the validity of all other laws. It requires a very sound understanding of the law which can only be obtained through decades of practice. Not the kind of job you hand off to film makers, nurses, school teachers and doctors, no matter how popular they are in their local communities.

There's a genuine risk the thing will pass based on popular sentiment, which will tie up the Supreme Court for years in legal challenges, something Ecuador can scarcely afford. If it does pass, it will likely be a slim margin, which will cast doubt on its authority. The whole thing is a disaster in the making. Anyone who understands the law could see that coming from day one.

ebear