There is unrest among the representatives in the district of San Miguelito. They feel Mayor Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla is negatively affecting the image of the municipality. They made their feelings clear during a meeting of the Municipal Council of San Miguelito yesterday, where the majority of the representatives are from the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the same party as Mayor Carrasquilla. One of them, Daniel Moreno, the representative from the area of Arnulfo Arias and also a PRD party member, said they have to respond to the audits conducted by the Comptroller's office, and he puts the blame on Mayor Valdés Carrasquilla. "The mayor is tarnishing the image of the district, and each of us. I think we should ask for his separation," he said. Cecilio Ruiz, the representative of the area of Rufina Alfaro and the President of the Municipal Council, said he is definitely concerned over the money that was stolen, which could have been invested in projects throughout the district. "In order to bring immediate solutions to the townships, we need these funds. He must give his explanation to justice," he said.

It appears the request to separate Valdés Carrasquilla from his position as the Mayor of San Miguelito will take place today, after he is interrogated by the Second Anti Corruption Prosecutor. The City Council of San Miguelito consists of seven representatives of the PRD and two from the Democratic Change political party. However, only one of the nine representatives was present to support Valdés Carrasquilla during a recent press conference - Roberto Butcher, the PRD representative from the area of Mateo Iturralde.

While the City Council conducted its regular Tuesday session yesterday, Mayor Valdés Carrasquilla spoke to reporters about the allegations being made against him. Although he did not present any documentation, the former boxer said in his defense he obtained two personal loans in 2004 and 2010 to economically support the residents of San Miguelito. "I asked for $20,000 from the Banco General at that time, and I also asked for $30,000 dollars from Financredit in the earlier period. A lot of that money I shared with my people in San Miguelito," he said, to defend himself against allegations made by former City Treasurer Fernando Hernandez, who accused Valdés Carrasquilla of spreading between $2,000 to $2,500 dollars from the municipal coffers every week, giving the money to residents and political supporters in San Miguelito. On the other hand, Valdés Carrasquilla blamed everything that is happening now on former presidential candidate Balbina Herrera, despite the fact that the reports and audits from the office of the Comptroller and from the Court of Auditors identify him as the primary person responsible for the loss of the money. In addition, Valdés Carrasquilla did not respond when asked if he had received $150,000 from former President Martin Torrijos to replace the missing money that was supposedly taken from the City's coffers, as alleged by the former City Treasurer. "I am innocent, and I never counted money in my mother's house," the mayor said.

Meanwhile, Balbina Herrera said on the Channel 13 news broadcast that Carrasquilla should not try to divert attention and he should focus on putting together a good defense. Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi said he expects Mayor Valdés Carrasquilla will appear before the prosecutor today to be interrogated in the case. He has been duly summoned. Every person who has been summoned by the judicial system has the duty to appear," said Bonissi. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Balbina Herrera started her political career as the Mayor of San Miguelito, where she served two terms (ten years.) She was then elected as San Miguelito's representative to the National Assembly where she served another two terms (ten years.) In 2004 she rode the coattails of Martin Torrijos to become first the Minister of Housing (MIVI), and she resigned from that position to run as the PRD's candidate in the presidential elections of 2009 - which she lost to Ricardo Martinelli. All of that means that as of May 2009, Balbina Herrera found herself politically defeated for the first time, and out of government office for the first time since 1984. She spent about six months in denial, and now she is apparently returning to her roots. I don't know exactly how, but in some way it will benefit her politically to have this PRD Mayor Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla removed from office. She knew all about the money he was skimming from petty cash because she did the exact same thing herself for more than a decade. Former City Treasurer Fernando Hernandez, who started the whole investigation with his allegations, probably has political ties or allegiance to Balbina Herrera. This morning Mayor Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla said he knows Balbina Herrera is behind all of this, and he's probably right. He almost certainly took the money, but considering that the City Council was dominated by the PRD with seven out of nine seats, in his brain he probably thought he would be allowed to continue to get away with it. He never expected what happened - Balbina Herrera needs a job, and she is returning to her roots, her political base in San Miguelito, in an attempt to haul her scorched political career from the ashes. Mayor Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla is her first victim on the comeback trail.

Panama City Mayor Bosco Vallarino said he is often the victim of "friendly fire" (attacks) by members of the Democratic Change political party. "There is both enemy and friendly fire, and these are the people who are paying the different newspapers so that unflattering political cartoons appear, 90% of which are untrue," he said. Vallarino made his statements on the "Face to Face" television program on Channel 4, where he said "when the same kind of political cartoon appears in three newspapers on the same day, one can say that the journalists are not all thinking the same thing, this is bought and paid for." He said there are people who "reach the ear of the President and start to cause harm, to sow discord" as in what happened with the trash problem. He warned the people behind this "friendly fire" would rather have his running mate as the Mayor and not him. "That's why I prefer a communication without intermediaries, to play pitcher and catcher with the President," he said. He said he would remain in office during his entire term in office, and they he would not accept any potential posting to an embassy. He noted his administration has been the subject of several audits and none have found nothing irregular.

In this regard, the a leader in the Democratic Change political party and Vice Minister of Commerce Ricardo Quijano said the public is receiving a "poor job, not what they were expecting" from the Mayor of Panama. In his view, regardless of the support and endorsement they give Vallarino as the Mayor, the Government has had to take the decision to establish a new Authority of Cleanliness to resolve the problem of garbage. "This is where (Bosco) is making a mistake. Friendly fire or enemy fire, the point is that there exists a job that has to be done and a duty that he should have completed, and the excuses they made in order to make themselves look good," he added. He noted that when the Ministry of the Presidency supported the collection of garbage, it was done right. "What we can not support is inefficiency, nor the placement of personal interests above those of the people," he said. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Poor Bosco. He's literally caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side the majority of the positions in the Municipality of Panama are held by PRD loyalists, who throw banana peels under his feet at every opportunity. On the other side Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico party don't like him - they see him as inefficient and ineffective. To be fair, it would be hard for anyone to function as an effective or efficient Mayor under those circumstances. Bosco has turned into a favorite punching bag for everyone. It must suck to be him right now.

PRD politician Quibián Panay, who serves on the Municipal City Council as the Representative for the District 8-9 which includes the areas of Las Cumbres and Alcalde Díaz, said on the morning news broadcast today that in his opinion there are "economic interests" at play in the issue of garbage collection in Panama City, and he does not think the central government of Ricardo Martinelli should take the responsibility for garbage collection away from the Municipality, although he did admit there are serious problems. Panay said "it is not throwing in the towel for Panama City Mayor Bosco Vallarino and taking over the problem for him, there are other interests at play in this issue." He said the central government should decide if it wants a decentralized system or a more centralized system of government, and that they are taking capacity and competence away from the municipal government. (La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: And, the PRD squeals. Even though Bosco Vallarino won the election and he is the Mayor of Panama City, the PRD retained control of the Municipal City Council with a majority of elected representatives. And, because PRD politician Juan Carlos Navarro was the Mayor of Panama City for ten years (from 1999 - 2009) the administrative ranks of city hall are jammed packed with PRD loyalists. Garbage collection has traditionally been one of the most corrupt areas of municipal government in Panama City, a virtual "cash cow" that has been giving milk in any number of forms for decades. Now, with the PRD in charge of part of the government and Bosco in charge of the other, the entire decades old system of graft and corruption has fallen apart, and the end result has been streets piled high with trash and garbage. The municipal government hit a log jam, so Ricardo Martinelli simply stepped in to take over. Now, the PRD guys are crying because - well - there goes the money. Balbina Herrera also came out bitching this morning - another sign that Martinelli is making exactly the right move. It is absolutely amazing to see these PRD guys saying "there are economic interests at play" as if they are trying to say that now Ricardo Martinelli wants to take over so he can steal the money (like they have been doing for years.) Critics will say this is another "power grab" by Martinelli, but no one ever thinks of garbage collection as a source of political power. Whatever. I see this as just one more step in the slow but sure transformation of this country. These little micro-centers of corruption are being broken apart and swept away, one at a time. Finally...

Panama's former Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez said it is sad that at this point the government of Ricardo Martinelli has not been able to establish with certainty who leaked information to the online newspaper "El Pais.cr" in Costa Rica. "It's sad when a minister of the State makes it clear that our intelligence system is so precarious," she said. Gomez denounced that her telephone conversations are being monitored, "so they know who I meet and what I do," she said, and she said she has enough information to know what's going on, and that it is the President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, who said he manages enough information to know that it is so, and that if the president, Ricardo Martinelli wants to talk about it, he can explain. Gomez told Telemetro Reporta that she has never released information from the Public Ministry, not even to defend herself. Gomez's statements came as a result of concerns raised by the Minister of Labor, Alma Cortes, on the program "Face to Face" where she said that some of the information used in the articles in El Pais.cr was provided by officials from the Public Ministry. "I am willing to testify, submit to and scrutiny that is necessary and even undergo a polygraph examination if they want," said Gomez, but not before complaining that the charges are only part of the repressive system that seeks to pollute public opinion her through a strategy of poisoning, so that on the day when they decide to condemn her the people will say that it is well deserved. She asked "they should look behind this, and why a State and a system that has all of the power that is being used against one of its most defenseless citizens in these moments, which is me," Gomez said. "I have no diplomatic ties, do not belong to an economically powerful family, nor have I fought for any political party, so nobody will come to defend me," she said. (Panama America)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - A rambling interview with the Minister of the Presidency Jimmy Papadimitriu appeared in La Prensa this morning. Journalist Flor Mizrachi Angel asked if it was true that Martinelli actually intends to hand the baton to Vice President Juan Carlos Varela in 2014, and Papadimitriu responded "Martinelli promised that Juan Carlos (Varela) would be the candidate." Of course that makes perfect sense, when taken in context of the strategic alliance struck between Ricardo Martinelli and the Cambio Democratico political party and the President of the Panameñista political party Juan Carlos Varela back in December 2008, leading up to the elections of May 2009. In that deal Juan Carlos Varela would do five years as Vice President, and then get "bumped up" to run as the primary candidate (with no other third party candidate running against him) in 2014. The "grand opposition alliance" would remain intact. Juan Carlos Varela will be able to ride the wave of successes into the May 2014 elections. The PRD, or those who are not in prison on corruption charges anyway, will mount some kind of a weak challenge, and they will get their asses handed to them. I suspect former Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro, who ran on Balbina Herrera's ticket as a Vice Presidential candidate, will lead the charge for the PRD. But, that's still a long ways away and who knows whats going to happen to the PRD between here and there. But, it now seems clear what's going to occur the camp of the "locos" - Juan Carlos Varela in 2014. There were other things in the interview, but none as important as this.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

President Ricardo Martinelli said today he would ask for the resignation of Ministry and Government and Justice advisor Eduardo "Rumba" Alfaro. The President did not elaborate on the changes that would take place shortly according to TVN Noticias. Martinelli was asked today by journalists who inquired about changes in his Cabinet, which are expected in July, when the current government administration reaches one year in office. Alfaro has been the target of complaints recently made public by National Assembly Deputy Marcos Gonzalez. According to the Deputy there are serious "irregularities" in the Ministry of Government and Justice, because their advisors meet with drug traffickers and provide special treatment to detainees. In this case, Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi announced he would open an official investigation. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: I have a question. If the president tells reporters he would ask for someone's resignation, doesn't that kinda imply that he already did? I mean, I don't know exactly what's going on with this whole conflict between Gonzalez and Mulino, but apparently Martinelli has seen enough of Alfaro, in any case. Alfaro was the guy who was in the photos meeting with drug traffickers in the La Joya prison. When Gonzalez's son complained, he was fired. Gonzalez then went public with the photos and made the fight public. Martinelli then threatened to kick Deputy Gonzalez out of the Cambio Democratico political party. Mulino and other ministers "closed ranks" in support of Alfaro's actions, but apparently that wasn't enough to save his job. I tell you, politicians are more fun to watch than a tank full of fish - just don't tap on the glass too hard...

National Assembly Deputies from the Cambio Democratico (CD) political party elected Deputy José Muñoz as the new President of the National Assembly and Fernando Carrillo as head of the collective bloc for the next term, which will begin on 1 July 2010. Panama America learned that as part of his nomination, Deputy Manuel Cohen from the Panameñista party and Dana Castañeda from the Unión Patriótica party will accompany him as Vice Presidents of the National Assembly. On another matter, Deputy Mario Miller called the warning given by Ricardo Martinelli to his colleague Marcos González a "wake-up call that a father makes to a son." "There are no problems between Marcos and the President, this should be clear, as in any family the dirty laundry is washed at home," said the Vice President of the CD. He said that it is "a personal situation" that occurred between Gonzalez and Minister Jose Mulino. (Panama America)

Escoffery Francisco's resignation from his post as the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Development, leaves in limbo the forum created in 2006. Although Escoffery claimed his resignation was due to "personal reasons" in the letter of resignation he sent to president, Ricardo Martinelli, members of the coalition say his departure is actually due to lack of support from the current administration. Anibal Culiolis, the representative of the Partido Popular in this forum, said Escoffery "did not see, did not feel, and did not perceive the support of the president of the Coalition and Vice Minister of the Presidency, Maria Fabrega." This situation, he added Culiolis, "puts this forum in a coma, mortally wounded." The truth is that Escoffery's exit comes after his failed attempt to open an office to install the Administrative Technical Secretariat - and after describing the problems he's been having - on 30 April before the members of the Coalition - on his failed negotiations with the Executive. Among these, a request made on March 8 to the administrative head of the Ministry of the Presidency, Carlos Orillac to publish the profiles of staff required for the Technical Secretariat, sustained Law 25 of 2008 which adopted the Verification and Monitoring Mechanism of coalition agreements. Vice Minister of the Presidency, Maria Fabrega, accepted the resignation. (La Prensa)

Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli on Wednesday denied having received a donation of $4.5 million dollars from members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, as reported last Monday by former presidential candidate Balbina Herrera. "I want to tell my dear friend Balbina Herrera that they have not given be a nickel, I'm waiting for the money, and I'm hoping that they give it to me because I still have not finished paying for the debts from my campaign," said Martinelli. Herrera, who ran for the PRD as Martinelli's opponent in the presidential race during the last elections of May 3, 2009, said members from her party linked to the management of campaign funds for her campaign "diverted" $4.5 million dollars to support Martinelli's campaign, representing an alliance led by the Democratic Change Party, and she mentioned names like Martin Torrijos, former president of Panama, and Ubaldino Real. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: Is Balbina Herrera taking a page from the David Murcia playbook? I knew early on that Murcia had never made a donation to Balbina Herrera, but he said he did just because he wanted to screw the PRD over. He knew the accusation would be enough to guarantee she would lose the election, and he was pissed at the way he was arrested in Panama and extradited to Colombia although there is no extradition treaty between Panama and Colombia. Balbina might be thinking that just making the accusation could be enough.

It appears former Panamanian president Martin Torrijos, has preferred to remain silent regarding the accusations made by former PRD presidential candidate Balbina Herrera, who accused him of having given $4.5 million dollars during the campaign to her opponent Ricardo Martinelli. In principle, people close to the former president told La Estrella yesterday that he was preparing a statement on the issue, but later we were informed there would be no such pronouncement. Was this a change of strategy, or something else? Balbina Herrera continued to make accusations in visits to various news and media outlets, which disturbed fellow party members such as Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, who urged her to "rectify" her position, because in his opinion she is damaging the restructuring they are working towards internal to the PRD. On the side of the Democratic Change, the party's General Secretary Alma Cortez said she regretted Herrera's statements, and said they have already reported to the Electoral Tribunal how they used their funds. (La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: This is sounding more like a maneuver by Balbina Herrera to reclaim some kind of position internal to the PRD. She's been a black sheep ever since she got trounced in May 2009, and now she's trying to blame Martin Torrijos for her defeat. At first blush it sounded nuts, however once Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico entered into an alliance with the Panameñista party in late December 2008 and early January 2009, it became readily apparently to practically everyone that Balbina Herrera no longer stood a chance - a fact which played out both in the polls leading up to the election and then during the election itself. And, until now it has been a mystery to me why Ricardo Martinelli has had several PRD members in key positions. Is there some kind of chance that Martin Torrijos actually did give a bunch of money to Martinelli at the last minute, as a way of saying "screw Balbina, let's work together..." Hey, stranger things have happened. In any case, the accusations being made by Balbina Herrera are the political talk of the town today.

Rather than becoming more clear, the situation internal to the PRD political party is more confusing every day. The tenuous peace between senior party figures after the elections last May now seem like an old torn rag shaken by the wind. The trigger this time was pile of overdue accounts and bills that have to be paid that is becoming more complex. Sources told La Estrella of $4 million dollars in outstanding bills and accounts that have to be paid, and they say Balbina Herrera passed these bills to the party after her resounding defeat a year ago.

But the former presidential candidate identified two high ranking government figures from the previous administration as those who are responsible: Martín Torrijos and Ubaldino Real, who "were the chiefs of campaign fundraising." Herrera decided to come to the offices of La Estrella to explain that she only knows of $1.4 million dollars in outstanding bills, "which have been reported to the Electoral Tribunal, so everyone knows," she said. But Herrera went even further and revealed information that would be unprecedented in the PRD. "Ask Martin and Ubaldino why they gave $4.5 million dollars to Martinelli," she said. Balbina also said there are people in her party who became millionaires in the last five years. (La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Balbina Herrera is running around telling anyone who will listen that Martin Torrijos and the PRD gave Ricardo Martinelli $4.5 million dollars to help him beat her in the election. It is my own personal opinion that she has lost touch with reality. The PRD giving money to the other candidate to help ensure the defeat of their own candidate? Sorry, but that just sounds nuts on the surface of it. This story has been picked up by every major news outlet in Panama, so it's the rumor of the day.

According to a report by the Electoral Tribunal, Balbina Herrera Arauz spent more than $5 million dollars during the presidential campaign last year. Days after the election, she arrived at the headquarters of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) with a mountain of paperwork, invoices and other documents. "These are the debts from the campaign, $4 million dollars is owed and I'm not going to pay it, the party should pay," said Herrera, according to witnesses who were there.

Today, the economic drag of an unsuccessful campaign seems to taxing the interests of the largest political party in the country, which also receives the largest piece of the so-called post election grant, estimated at more than six million dollars for the next five years. PRD general secretary, Mitchel Doens, recognizes that there are debts, although he says it is nothing to prevent the implementation of scheduled activities, including the election of new party leaders which was to be held in October of this year, but has been postponed to early 2011.

The delay will allow time for the approval of amendments to the statutes and then in August or September of next year, the PRD will proceed with the election of party officials. However, the situation is not all roses, and it has begun to worry those who have aspirations to lead the party, and even those who would like to be the party's presidential candidate in the elections of 2014. Further, another fear internal to the party are the defection of their members for the tents of the opposition. (La Estrella)

The Panameñista political party is getting more members, this time from their arch rival. Forty members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), including party founders, party delegates, and community leaders, made the jump yesterday. Among the new Panameñistas are Ciro Pérez, a PRD party founder, and José González, who served as the party delegate for the area of Tocumen. Both belong to the 8-10 circuit, where lawmaker Alcibiades Vasquez is currently the Vice President of the Panameñista party.

Perez justified his decision by pointing to the crisis currently engulfing the PRD party. "The PRD is tumbling, the group's organization has not yet hit rock bottom, and now I no longer care," he said. He also clarified his decision to jump from one political party to another is not tied to a promise of "perks ... nothing," and his only goal is to support he work being carried out by the Panameñista lawmaker. He went even further to say that his registration in the Panameñista party is just a harbinger for things to come, because in the coming weeks other PRD party members will also make the switch.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, said he decided to change political parties after many meetings and consultations with his backers, and he also said he decided to make the change due to the problems within the PRD.

Alcibiades Vásquez said there is no "political patronage" associated with the arrival of the former PRD party members, and that they will be treated the same as any other member of the Panameñista party.

What is happening right now to the PRD also happened last Sunday, when members of the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (Molirena) from the 8-9 circuit changed their allegiance to the Panameñista party at a time when the Molirena is in the process of merging with the Democratic Change party. In total, 1,935 people in Chilibre, Alcalde Díaz and Las Cumbres, among them party leaders and party delegates, left the Molirena party to welcome the philosophy of Arnulfo Arias and the protection of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of party. "This is because Molirena has historically been an ally of the Panamanian Party, Vasquez added. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: The PRD is basically toast at this point, and they have a long and hard uphill struggle between now and May 2014 to try to make any kind of a legitimate run towards trying to regain political power in Panama. Molirena is going away, with their members switching to either the Panameñista political party or Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico. If the Panameñistas and Cambio Democratico can maintain their alliance, they could probably rule this country for 50 years. However, history says their alliance falls apart for the 2014 election, they split the vote, and the PRD steps in (once again) to take advantage of the infighting. That's exactly what happened in the 1994 and 2004 elections. Let's see if this pattern repeats every ten years, or if 2014 will break the cycle.

President Ricardo Martinelli now has an 80% approval rating among the Panamanian population. The poll conducted by the company Dichter & Neira poll for April 2010 indicates the level of acceptance of the president surged 11 percentage points compared to the months of February and March 2010, when he scored a 69% approval rating compared to 78% in January. Political analysts agree the measures implemented by the government, such ad the distribution of school supplies, backpacks and bonds from the Ministry of Education were crucial to Martinelli's rise in the survey. Even it was even thought that in April the recently approved tax reforms might damage the president's popularity. However, those who are dropping in acceptance among the population are the Deputies of the National Assembly, and the rating has dropped more than 20 percentage points, down from 78% in October 2009 to 57.3% in April 2010. (La Estrella)

If the Molirena political party join into the fusion of the Unión Patriótica party with Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democrático - then the three combined parties could have a total membership of more than 325,000 participants. If that actually does occur, then Cambio Democratico would take over as the second largest political party in Panama, surpassing the Panameñista party which has 243,000 members. To that end, the leadership of the Molirena party is carrying out conversations with their membership, with a view towards joining Martinelli's plans and creating a new "mega-party" of government. In the coming days the Molirena leadership will appoint a committee charged with initiating negotiations with the Cambio Democrática and the Unión Patriótica to determine whether or not the union is viable. Not all of the Molirena party members agree to the plan. There are party founders who reject the extinction of Molirena. (La Estrella)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - I know there are a lot of people who are moving to Panama in order to escape the creep of the government into their daily lives. My hometown is Middletown, New York and I still vote there with an absentee mail-in ballot. The man who represents me in the US House of Representatives is Maurice Hinchey - considered to be one of the most "left leaning", socialist, practically communist members of congress, House and Senate included. Basically, I want to fire his ass. As such, I am supporting George Phillips in November 2010 - mostly because he's not Maurice Hinchey. It helps that Phillips also happens to align about 95% with my personal thoughts and beliefs on how things should be done in Washington. If you are so inclined, please read the full article and thanks. If you happen to live and vote in the NY22 - then vote for Phillips.

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Now, they've gone and pissed me off. I have a tendency to ignore most of whats happening in the United States with regards to politics. However I am becoming more convinced the country is on the wrong path, mostly for reasons of economics, government spending, debt, fiscal responsibility, and personal freedoms. Of course this article has absolutely nothing to do with Panama, except for the fact that I happen to live here, and I'm pissed off. Anyway, I'll be working remotely to support George Phillips for US Congress. I you can cast a vote in the 22nd Congressional District of New York then I would request that you vote for him. Please visit his website and spread the word. Thanks for taking the time.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

At a press conference held yesterday at the headquarters of the Partido Revolucionario Democratico (PRD) political party, PRD lawmaker Raúl Pineda said the right way to deal with former party members who leave their ranks, would be to remove them from the positions they obtained as PRD party members. Mitchel Doens, the Secretary General of the PRD, on Friday requested the revocation of the mandate of the local Representatives and Mayors who have resigned from the PRD in order to join the ranks of the ruling Cambio Democratico (CD) political party. PRD members referred specifically to the case of the Mayor of the district of Alanje, Melva Aguilar, who in recent days left the PRD and changed to the CD. The same thing could happen with the lawmaker from District 4-3, Rony Arauz, according to the chief of the PRD voting block in the National Assembly Yassir Purcait. Right now PRD party members are waiting for the authorities from the Electoral Tribunal to decide what to do in each of these cases. (Source - La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Like rats from a sinking ship - the PRD is losing more and more political power in this country with each passing minute. When they were in charge, everyone wanted to be in the PRD. Now that they are out of power and Ricardo Martinelli's Cambio Democratico party is running the whole enchilada, it makes no practical sense to stick with the PRD. So much for party loyalty, eh?

Panama's Electoral Tribunal formalized the demise of two political parties - Moral Vanguard of the Motherland and the Liberal Party - for having failed to obtain the minimum number of votes required during the last national general election held on 3 May 2009 to guarantee their continued existence. In order to continue to exist as a political party in Panama, the parties would have needed to obtain at least 4% of the votes cast for their candidates. The candidate running for the Moral Vanguard of the Motherland party, Guillermo Endara, received just 2.3% of the total votes cast. The Liberal Party received just 2.7% of the votes cast for the candidate for the Mayor of Panama City. Following this decision, the Electoral Tribunal ordered the closure of the records of both political parties, which were declared extinct. The opposition Popular Party managed to survive because they obtained 5.2% of the votes cast for representatives of local districts (corregimientos.) (Source - La Prensa)

Former Vice President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro said the PRD political party must maintain their criticism of the current administration, however they should continue to develop their own proposals. Lewis Navarro would neither confirm nor deny his political aspirations for a position within the PRD, as he visited several areas of the Azuero peninsula. Lewis Navarro said he maintains his commitment to strengthen and restructure the party following the ideals of Omar Torrijos. (Source - TVN Noticias)

Editor's Comment: Samuel Lewis Navarro is one of the few PRD politician who has managed to cleanly escape the flood of scandals following the administration of Martin Torrijos. He is of course seeking to position himself during the next several years as a potential option as the PRD candidate in 2014. And, since that election is a long way away - little tours like this are designed to simply keep his name in the press, to continue to build name recognition. And since he's not scandal-ridden, he can play the role of the "clean" PRD guy. He's facing a Martinelli administration with approval ratings of about 75%. It's tough to have that PRD tattoo on your forehead right now.

Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister, Juan Carlos Varela, said the Panameñista political party is in motion; it is already heavily involved in the way the country is being governed. He made his statements in response to speculation over a supposed "crisis" in the party made by some members of that group. Varela said it is impossible to interpret statements made by one or two people to the media. He emphasized the democratic nature of the party. (Source - Panama America)

Public consultations could represent a cost to the state of $8 million dollars, confirmed yesterday Raul Mulino, the Minister of Government and Justice. His remarks came after a meeting between the Minister of the Presidency Jimmy Papadimitriu, the Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino, Rómulo Roux of Canal Affairs, the Vice Minister of the Presidency María Fábrega, and the justices of the Electoral Tribunal to learn what is needed in order to hold this kind of public consultation. Although Mulino said he still does not have a specific plan, they are evaluating the costs associated with the last referendum on the Panama Canal, which was about $8 million dollars. It was learned that after the meeting, they intended to present a report to president Ricardo Martinelli to explain the results of the meeting with the judges of the Electoral Tribunal, and to create a proposal for a bill that will be presented to the National Assembly to begin shaping the popular consultations. The meeting came after an announcement made by Martinelli on Sunday, 7 March, regarding the participation of Panamanians in a plebiscite or referendum in forums, surveys and momentous issues. Martinelli launched the proposal as a means of obtaining the views of the people who will decide what action should be taken to seek the best solutions to major issues in the country. Through public consultations, regional or national issues could be addressed, and then it would fall to the Executive branch to call for the election and to the Electoral Tribunal to regulate and oversee the voting, said the Ministry of the Presidency. According Papadimitriu, they still have not defined what issues will be included as part of the plebiscite to be discussed between the people and the executive, nor has an exact date been fixed to hold the first vote, but he said the opinion of the people is the most important thing. (Source: El Siglo)

Today on the Channel 13 Telemetro morning newscast, Panama's Minister of Trade and Industry, Roberto Henriquez, said the only person who would immediately benefit from a proposal to reduce the waiting period for a former president to seek reelection from 10 years (currently) to five years would be Martin Torrijos. Henriquez said any proposal to change the Constitution of Panama to allow for the immediate reelection of the sitting president is not on the agenda of the present government of Ricardo Martinelli. He said the only ones talking about his possibility are PRD politicians from the opposition. (Source: Telemetro Reporta)

Editor's Comment: The message coming from the administration of Ricardo Martinelli became clear on this issue, as of yesterday morning. Martinelli himself said he has no interest whatsoever of seeking immediate reelection in the 2014 elections. However in these statements made by Roberto Henriquez, this is the first time I've seen the "trial balloon" floated of decreasing the waiting period required from 10 to 5 years. If that change were implemented then Martin Torrijos would be able to run for office in 2014, instead of having to wait until 2019. Right now when a President leaves office he or she has to sit out for two full cycles before they are eligible. In 2009 Ernesto Perez Balladares was eligible because he left office in 1999, but he lost a PRD primary election to Balbina Herrera. With no change to the constitution both Ernesto Perez Balladares and Mireya Moscoso could run in 2014, because Mireya left office in 2004. If the change is adopted then you could add Martin Torrijos to the mix for 2014, but Ricardo Martinelli would not be eligible until 2019.

And Here's The Grand Strategy: Ricardo Martinelli does a good job, runs the country well, focuses on making sure he keeps the people happy, and glides into the end of his administration with relatively high approval ratings (60% or higher). He hands the reins to Juan Carlos Varela (or some other politician he could back as his anointed candidate) who takes over and runs things for the next five years. And then in 2019 after taking five years off Martinelli could come back and do it again. As long as the non-PRD coalition remains intact, then the PRD will never have the votes to run the country. Repeat forever. The kicker to this plan is "keeping the coalition together." What tends to happen ever five years is - the non-PRD parties get together and form a coalition and they win. (Endara). The next time around it all falls apart and they lose (Perez Balladares.) Then after being reminded of what the PRD is like they come together again (Moscoso). Once in power they are corrupted, fall on their asses, and the PRD comes back (Torrijos.) Once again reminded of the PRD, they get it together again (Martinelli) and here we are today. Anyway, the message is "we don't want reelection" but their plan apparently calls for holding on to power for a very long time.

The Electoral Tribunal (TE) could have much more work than usual during the five years of any presidential administration, given that President Ricardo Martinelli has taken seriously the idea of holding a popular annual consultation (vote) on issues of national interest. The basis for these consultations will be established today. The Minister of the Presidency, Demetrio Papadimitriu, heads a government commission that will meet with the judges of the Electoral Tribunal, Eduardo Valdés, Gerardo Solis and Erasmo Pinilla. The executive committee also consists of the Minister of Interior and Justice, Jose Raul Mulino and vice ministers María Fábrega and Alejandro Garuz of the Presidency and Security, respectively. The review of the legal framework under which these kinds of public consultations would take place will be one of the first issues that must be explained by the Electoral Tribunal. Once a "strong base" is established, it is expected the judges and members of the commission will make the results of this meeting public through an official press release. The issues on which public consultations will be held are not of "the moment" but rather of "the future", said said minister Papadimitriu. An issue such as tax reform, according to Papadimitriu, would not be part of this consultative process, although the issue of changes to the education system curriculum could fall within the announced dialog.

INITIATIVE: Martinelli was clear, the initiative to convene annual plebiscites would be similar to the model employed in Europe. Switzerland is the only country on the European continent where the Constitution provides for conducting referendums as a way to adopt rules and decisions that apply to the whole country. Unlike a referendum, whose character or legal rigor can only accept or reject a law or a decision of either local or national character, a plebiscite can set standards, receive proposals, and allow for the making of decisions or the writing of regulations. In both formulas, the popular vote is the deciding factor.

Sovereign provinces: Another issue to be addressed would be the decentralization at the provincial level, giving governors the power to decide on the execution of public works and projects. For this, the figure (the Governors of the Provinces) who right now is designated by the President of the Republic would become subject to a popular election, a proposal that would also have to be included in the process of reforming the electoral code. Last year, the National Assembly suspended the effective date of Law 37 which decentralized public administration of municipalities, giving them autonomy in their operation and management of funds allocated to public education health.

POPULAR CONSULTATION: From 1978 to date, Panama has held four public consultations on vital issues in national affairs. The ratification of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977 passed public scrutiny at the height of the years of the military dictatorship in Panama, while the decision to expand the Panama Canal in 2006 was the last time an issue was submitted to public scrutiny. Unlike elections, this type of consultative approach, either by referendum or plebiscite, requires an extra mobilization of staff before, during and after election day. In the proposal being put forward by Martinelli, they would hold at least four public plebiscites between 2010 and 2013. To do this, the explanations of the judges of the Electoral Tribunal will be highly relevant. (Source: La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Very intelligent. I see this proposal as an expansion of democracy in Panama. The government of Ricardo Martinelli could place issues of national interest on a ballot and then once they pass the vote, he would have the popular backing of the people to do whatever it is that needs to be done. For example - consider the possibility of a referendum on balancing the budget. If the people speak and demand that the government run a balanced budget, then the government would have to both cut spending and increase taxes until they were running a surplus and paying off debt. The question will quickly become - what will be the process for determining what questions will be a part of the plebiscite. For example if they ask "We're going to eliminate the PRD - should we shoot them or drown them?" (Pick only one) You get the point. The person forming the question already pretty much knows what the answer is going to be. And (conversely) they won't ask the questions if they don't want to hear the answers. Anyway, it's still a smart play and it will give me a lot to talk about for the next four years, so I like it.

"I'm not cut out for this crap," said Ricardo Martinelli, who said he would not support any effort to change the constitution to allow for his immediate reelection, and that once he's done changing the country he said he would "go enjoy my life." While dismissing the possibility of his immediate reelection, Martinelli said he supports the idea of making changes to the Constitution, but to improve issues such as the way judges to the Supreme Court are selected and the possibility of eliminating reelection for Deputies to the National Assembly. Martinelli's statements were made during an interview on the Channel 13 Telemetro morning news program, during which he stepped out to defend the quality of the school book bags that are being handed out to students this year, the tax reforms currently being debated in the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, and rumors of the possibility of an impending effort to change the Constitution so that he could seek reelection.

Martinelli said he accepts constructive criticism - "if we have to back down, then so be it" - he said, but not without saying that those who are complaining most about the tax reform plan are the rich who do not want the country to change. When asked about the possibility of reducing the ITBMS from 7% to 6%, Martinelli said they would then have to increase taxes on banks and airlines. "We ended (the year) with a deficit of 1% - after paying off a pile of debt we inherited (from the previous administration of Martin Torrijos) such as the Coastal Strip, and now it falls to me to determine if it is necessary to raise taxes because the money is being hidden somewhere else." "I will continue to decline in the polls, but in four years I will have an acceptance rate of 90%," he said.

As for his call for unity, Martinelli said referendums will used to decide national issues.

In speaking about recent criticisms made against him by the Arab League over remarks he made while in Israel, and calls from the National Christian Holy Land Coalition to have him declared "persona non grata" Martinelli said his comments were taken out of context, since he made his statements originally in English and they do not mean the same thing in Spanish. Martinelli downplayed the situation, because it does not affect the international relations of Panama in any way. "Here they are looking for the cat's fifth leg," he said.

Backpacks & Scholarships - "To say the backpacks are not of good quality is a dirty trick," said Martinelli, who added it is easier to do nothing, or simply steal $10 dollars for every backpack, as they did during the last administration. The universal scholarship consists of a $20 monthly payment - for nine months - for every student in public school.

Former Vice President Guillermo Ford said it would be a "surprise" to the country, to consider the possibility of an attempt to modify the Constitution to allow for the reelection of the president or the extension of the term in office. He said it would be "premature" to talk about the possibility of a reelection or extension of the presidential period in office, considering that the Martinelli administration has only been in office a few months. "To me, as a politician and citizen, I don't like living in the surprises provided by the politicians, therefore the issue should be fully discussed with the whole of society," he said. He said that if a referendum were adopted it should guarantee "democratic stability." (Source: Panama America)

Editor's Comment: There are strong rumors running around saying that President Ricardo Martinelli is planning to push for a change to the Constitution of Panama that would allow for this immediate reelection. The last guy to try this was Ernesto Perez Balladares, who lost a referendum vote on the issue. Not surprising considering he was elected by only about 35% of the population. Perez Balladares was always much more popular in his own head than he ever was among the general population of the country. Martinelli, on the other hand, was elected by about 65% of the vote, the most ever for any Panamanian president in the post-dictatorship era. Martinelli had approval ratings of up to 80% just a couple of months ago, and recently those numbers have dropped back down to the high 60% to low 70% range. In order to change the Constitution the National Assembly must first approve the request in two consecutive years, and then the question would be put to a national vote. Therefore, if the National Assembly approved the issue tomorrow, the earliest we might see a national referendum would be towards the end of 2010 or early 2011 (or later). In order to pass, it would be a simple "Yes" or "No" vote, and it would need a simply majority of 50% (plus one vote.) If Martinelli intends to try this, it would be better to do it early in his administration rather than later.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - And now, it's hitting the fan somewhat within the Panameñista political party in Panama. Shortly after the installation of Panama's new Attorney General, Giuseppe Bonissi, the Supreme Court reactivated an old case that was still pending against former president of Panama, Mireya Moscoso. Her administration ran the country from 1999 to 2004, and arguably hers was one of the most corrupt of the post-dictatorship era. And, that's saying something when compared to her contemporaries, Ernesto Perez Balladares and Martin Torrijos. When Mireya Moscoso was elected the party was known as the "Arnulfistas" - named after her late husband Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid. He was elected as the President of Panama three times in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, but every time he was thrown out of office by a military coup - real "mission impossible" stuff. Anyway, by the end of the Moscoso administration in 2004 the party was in tatters. They actually changed the name of the party back to the Panameñista party, in an effort to bury the ghosts of Moscoso's corrupt administration. Now that Mireya Moscoso has lost her immunity from prosecution that she had as a representative to the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), and now that Ricardo Martinelli has taken control of the Supreme Court, for the first time Mireya Moscoso is confronted with the serious possibility of having to face justice for all the crap they pulled while she was in office. The headlines today are filled with a supposed "rebellion" within the Panameñista party, which is supposedly divided into two camps - one loyal to Mireya Moscoso and the other loyal to Party President and Panamanian Vice President Juan Carlos Varela. Any noise Panameñista's might be making about not being happy with the administration of Ricardo Martinelli should be taken in context. If it wasn't for the alliance they struck with him, they would be on the outside looking in. If Mireya Moscoso has to respond for some of the more corrupt acts committed by her administration, then I can only applaud. Anyway, you might be seeing more from some elements of the Panameñista party, but in fact it's just more chickens finally coming home to roost. And, Ricardo Martinelli is sticking to his campaign promise of making corrupt former officials pay - no matter what party they came from. And remember, before Ricardo Martinelli and his Cambio Democratico party, political power in Panama had shifted back and forth between the PRD and the Panameñistas since about 1931. He is a real game-changer, and the old timers on both sides don't like the new paradigm very much. The little guys, however, are really diggin' it - Martinelli still has a 70%+ approval rating. So a few Panameñistas are complaining, so what?

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - This morning many of the news sources carried headlines declaring a sharp drop in Ricardo Martinelli's popularity in Panama. I watched and listened to those reports and then bought a couple of newspapers to check things out for myself. It turns out that the "big news" is about 70% of Panamanians rate Ricardo Martinelli as either "Excellent" or "Good". He has lost some of the initial euphoria from when he was elected, but considering that a full 35% of the country are card-carrying members of the PRD political party, it's still astounding that 70% of Panamanians think he's doing either a good or an excellent job in office. What's more, Martinelli got about 60% of the vote in the election, so there are now even more people behind him than on election day. What's funny to me is watching the media trying to turn that into bad news.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

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.

As soon as Panama's Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez is formally and officially notified of her suspension, the Secretary General of the Public Ministry, Rigoberto González and several other staff members in "positions of trust" will resign from their positions within the institution. With this announcement González is complying with what he has been saying for months - that if Gomez eventually leaves from her post then he would resign. However, while local media reported on Thursday that four prosecutors have also said they would resign, the rest will await for the new Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi to decide. Meanwhile the Superior Prosecutor neither confirmed or denied that he would resign, although he has another offer within the Municipality of Panama. Other officials argued that the "judicial career" will be diminished, although it is protected by the Constitution. (Source: Panama America)

Editor's Comment: In Panama the Attorney General is the Chief of the Public Ministry. All of the prosecutors in Panama work for the AG. There are literally dozens of prosecutors at all levels, and some are more trusted than others. All of the people who move in these circles know "who's who" so to speak, and they know which of the prosecutors are the loyal allies of Ana Matilde Gomez. While (on paper) their jobs and careers are protected, they also understand this is a situation that is politically charged. For example, Rigoberto González is the Secretary General of the Public Ministry and he also serves as the personal defense attorney for Ana Matilde Gomez. It will be interesting to see which of the high-profile prosecutors turn in their papers, and which stick around to see if Giuseppe Bonissi wants them to stick around. In this world, if the boss doesn't want you, it really doesn't make any sense to force the issue or you'll find yourself prosecuting coconut thieves in the San Blas islands somewhere or sniffing around the Darien looking for the FARC.