Mayor-elect Blandon promises to rule by consensus

PANAMEÑISTA deputy Jose Isabel Blandon Figueroa, a 46-year old lawyer, will be mayor of Panama City the second most important elected post in the country,starting July 1.

The mayor elect promised a city government of consensus, and in his victory speech praised the current mayor Roxana Mendez (CD) and his major opponent deputy Jose Luis Fabrega, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, taking the time to personally congratulate him on his campaign. Blandon received the minutes of proclamation after a close race.

After two days of virtually uninterrupted counting , the District Election Board reported that Blandon had won. Confounding, as with the presidential elections the pre-election pollsters.
Blandon won with as with th 35.6 % of the votes , Fabrega followed with 34.6% and the current mayor CD insider  Mendez, 24% , Fernando Cebamanos, the Broad Front for Democracy gained1%.
The Panameñista Party (formerly Arnulfista ) replaced d the now defunct Liberal Party in the 80s , but Blandon’s father Jose Isabel Blandon Castillo was linked to the military dictatorship.
Blandon worked assiduously to lay the groundwork for his bid for the city’s top job, stepping forward as an unpaid advisor to Mayor Bosco Vallarino after a series of major political gaffes by the man known to some as Mr Bumble.
The advisor role morphed into Blandon becoming the front man for Bosco until the bumbler was edged out by President Ricardo Martinelli and replaced by Mendez. Her name had been linked in some reports to the Italy Panama Government bribery scandal, and with her close ties to the increasingly unfacovered president, was a virtual non-starter from the get-go of the election campaign
He began his political career in 1994 when he went to the Assembly as a deputy to legislator Marco Ameglio then. In 1999 he became principal deputy. He will occupy the 8-8 circuit seat in the legislator until June 30. As deputy, he promoted the Transparency Act (Act 6, 2002).
Blandon was an early critic of some Martinelli actions, even when the Panameñista were part of a coalition government with the CD. He was the first candidate in the race who publicly presented his notarized statement of assets, on the Web site of the Panamanian chapter of Transparency International.
As a candidate for City Mayor, he held 100 community councils reports La Prensa.

He is married to Yamileth Arauz and the father of four children.

Environmental support

Having environmentalist Raisa Banfield as his running mate for deputy mayor was a strategic move that paid off and could well benefit the city. In the early days of the campaign she showed that she was not afraid to take on the mighty and powerful. Not politically aligned she responded quickly to one of President Martinelli's Twitter barbs saying that he had only two ways of dealing with women,"Conquer or denigrate."

Blandon said the first thing he will do, before taking office, will be to hold a meeting with the elected council representatives..
“We will work at once, without waiting to take possession. I will meet with elected representatives before July 1 to review the agenda for the first 100 days and build a good relationship," Blandon told La Prensa he does not want his management characterized by conflict . "We want a mayor of consensus," he said.
In preparing the formation of his team, he is having consultations with various leaders of civil society. He said that for the posts of treasurer and city engineer he "may seek professionals who enforce the rules and he law>"
Blandon also recognized the work of the Electoral Tribunal in the close race
During his victory speech Blandon said the he will not look at the political banners of persons who wish to join his team.
"No matter from which party  the person comes, the important thing is to build a city together.”
Blandon said he was aware that many voters did not support his plan of government, therefore, he would always seek consensus.