y Alonso Soto

QUITO, Jan 24 (Reuters) Ecuador election officials has decided to allow the opposition-controlled Congress to rule on President Rafael Correa's request for a referendum that aims to change the constitution, a move government supporters fear could weaken the plan.

Earlier, dozens of protesters waving the lime green flags of Correa's political movement climbed over walls and forced their way into the election court building chanting ''Say 'yes' to the Assembly'' before they were controlled by police.

The election tribunal was forced to meet outside the court building and ruled to send the request to Congress, a court judge told Reuters yesterday.

Correa, ally of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, was elected in November promising sweeping reforms to curtail the influence of traditional parties which many Ecuadoreans blame for the Andean nation's political turmoil.

Supporters of the left-leaning president believe that if the court sends the proposal to Congress, opposition lawmakers would try to water down Correa's plan for a vote on whether to call a popular assembly to rewrite the constitution.

More than three-quarters of Ecuadoreans support Correa's plan, a Cedatos Gallup poll showed this week.

The court protests and demonstrations at the attorney general's office underscore growing political tensions between Correa and Congress in a country where lawmakers have helped topple three elected presidents in the last decade.

Opposition political parties are opposed to Correa's ideas for constitutional reform because they believe he will seek to bypass them and undermine their authority. Correa, a U S-trained economist, says the reforms are needed to curb party influence in the courts and other institutions.

Congress president Jorge Cevallos said Correa was pushing the country to the brick of chaos and anarchy while emulating the dictatorial practices of his friend Chavez.

''Congress has to denounce this disrespect to democracy,'' Cevallos told reporters.

On the other hand, Correa said he would not ''allow a dictatorship of political parties.'' He told reporters only the tribunal could approve the referendum and he has sent election officials a decree to make a few changes on the assembly's statute.

The charismatic leader has an approval rating of 73 percent while Congress has only 13 percent, according to another Cedatos poll released over the weekend.

International investors are worried over heightened political turmoil rekindled by Correa's aggressive drive to overhaul his country's political system.

''This highly confrontational strategy carries the risk of eroding even further the institutional backbone of the country,'' wrote Alberto Ramos, economist with Goldman Sachs.

In separate turmoil, a decision by lawmakers last week to appoint an attorney general close to Correa's former election rival, Alvaro Noboa, sparked street protests by government supporters to demand his removal.

Ecuador's chief police commander also resigned on Tuesday as the new government attempted to reform the police, hit by corruption scandals.

REUTERS PDS RN0705