Bolivian judges say Morales constitution illegal

LA PAZ (Reuters) - In a sign of growing opposition to leftist President Evo Morales, senior Bolivian judges said in an open letter to the public his proposed new constitution is illegal and must be redone if he hopes to avoid a deeper political crisis.

The judges' letter, released late Wednesday, puts political pressure on the constitutional tribunal, which will have the ultimate say on the proposed charter.

Their statement was the latest indication that Morales lacks broad support and faces growing pressure to negotiate with the opposition.

Morales, the Andean country's first indigenous leader, says the draft constitution will help redress centuries of domination by a European-descended elite. But he has run into powerful resistance from opposition governors in Bolivia's eastern lowlands who complain he is being one-sided.

"Re-establish and restart the constitutional reform process ... to ensure social peace and the inclusion of all Bolivians," said the letter written by the presidents of provincial superior courts, the National Agrarian Tribunal and the Supreme Court of Justice.

Bolivia, South America's poorest country, has been at a political impasse since four of the country's nine governors declared their provinces autonomous last month to protest against the proposed constitution.

Morales' allies approved the proposal in the constitutional assembly late last year during a boycott by opposition delegates.

In a move that could tip the balance against Morales, opposition groups in Chuquisaca filed thousands of signatures with provincial authorities on Wednesday as part of their drive to become the fifth province to declare autonomy.

Governors from the eastern provinces, which are rich in oil and natural gas, fear Morales will cut their share of lucrative revenues from energy exports and enact a land reform program that would whittle away at sprawling soy farms.

'LEGALLY STILLBORN'

The judges said the proposed constitution is "illegal and illegitimate" because Morales' allies approved it without input from the opposition or a two-thirds majority in the assembly.

Legal holes and inconsistencies also riddle the document so it cannot be put to a referendum this year as planned by Morales, the judges said.

"The project is legally stillborn," they said.

The government said the judges' opinion risked hurting negotiations between Morales and the governors.

"We lament the fact that ... they are making a forced and erroneous interpretation with the goal of damaging the process of reconciliation," said Hector Arce, vice minister for government coordination.

Both sides have tried to resolve their differences but talks stalled this week over how to revise the constitution to incorporate the provinces' autonomy declarations and divide natural gas revenues.

The governors and Morales are expected to face referendums that could remove them from office if they fail to reach a national accord to end the deadlock. (Reporting by Terry Wade and Armando Perez Fernandez; editing by Fiona Ortiz and Chris Wilson)