Martinelli's Accumulation of Political Power Making People Nervous

Sectors of Panamanian society are appealing to President Ricardo Martinelli, to stop the "excessive hunger for power" that is plunging the country into what could be the "worst institutional-political crisis in recent decades." The concern of the Catholic Church was published in the weekly newspaper "Catholic Panorama", which states that given the situation that has arisen over the case of the Attorney General's Office, "the interests and the social peace of the nation take priority over the individual." The Church believes that "to submit the country to the shock, the disappointment, and the institutional dispute, is a dangerous act, the consequences of which will eventually result in a heavy price." Politician Miguel Antonio Bernal warns that we face an executive that does not stop its excessive accumulation of power, which can be "dangerous" for the country. Bernal's view is shared by PRD deputy Leandro Avila who argues that many of the Executive's actions could lead us to a "great crisis". Since July the administration of Ricardo Martinelli has planned its actions to achieve a greater concentration of power than what is provided by the Constitution (critics allege.) The concern of the Church is added to that of other groups and organizations from the civil society. Some of them openly supported Martinelli as a candidate in the last election, but now they are orchestrating the the revival of the National Civil Crusade that opposed the military dictatorship in the 1980's. Constitutionally, the executive has the power to develop and implement the General State Budget. The Executive Branch can decide how much money is assigned to each of the other branches of government and the manner in which that money is spent, which in effect gives it total control, said Bernal. Milton Henriquez, chairman of the Popular Party, believes the National Assembly should also change it's "complacent" conduct. Martinelli's actions to dominate all structures of the state were clear from the beginning. His government holds a majority in the National Assembly and they ratified his appointment of Gioconda Torres de Bianchini as the new Comptroller General of the Republic, a woman who previously worked as the chief auditor for Martinelli's companies. And this occurred despite his campaign promises that he would select an independent for this post. The National Assembly also ratified two of Martinelli's appointments to the Supreme Court, José Almengor and Alejandro Moncada, both of whom are close to the President. Add the separation of Ana Matilde Gomez from her position as the Attorney General of the Republic and the surprise resignation of Boris Barrios from his politically important position as th Electoral Prosecutor, and the fear that the magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal may be forced from their positions through legal actions pending against them. The Government also aims to control the media. After criticizing the programming and the newscasts on the major television stations, National Assembly Deputy from Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico political party Dalia Bernal, first proposed the reactivation of the Censorship Board and later the "self-regulation" of the newspapers and radio. (Source: Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Yup, there's no doubt about it. Ricardo Martinelli has taken control of just about every important element of political power in Panama. Any observer can see what's happening and it's making some people very, very nervous. Now ask yourself - how and why has Martinelli been able to gather up so much political power? I would submit that the power now being wielded by Martinelli is a direct reflection of the clear mandate the people of Panama handed to him in the May 2009 election. Once must always remain vigilant upon detecting his particular set of circumstances, however the proof will be to see exactly how his accumulation of state power is used. If Martinelli continues his campaign to flush out and prosecute corrupt PRD politicians - and of course it will be the prosecutors of the Public Ministry and the judges of the Judiciary who actually do most of the heavy lifting in that respect - then I'm all for it. Gather the evidence, hold a fair and transparent trial, respect the constitutional rights of all involved, and obtain true and valid convictions against those who have been RAPING THIS COUNTRY FOR DECADES! There are some people who are afraid of the power being gathered by Ricardo Martinelli for a reason - mostly because they know what they have done and they are afraid that they will now, finally, be held accountable for their criminal actions, in a country where they have traditionally been able to get away with murder, literally. If that's the meaning of "Democratic Change" then it's been a long time coming. Maybe, just maybe, we might be witnessing a healthy evolution of the democratic process in action. And again, the proof is in the pudding. I've been disappointed by Panamanian politicians before. I had high hopes for Martin Torrijos and look how that turned out. Let's hope Ricardo Martinelli is actually, really, truly different from the people who have preceded him in office.