Skepticism over new judicial picks

Alejandro Moncada and José Abel Almengor have been nominated to fill the upcoming vacancies on the Supreme Court, ending a week of drama that surrounded the picks.
The announcement has been greeted with skepticism by many political commentators and civil rights activists.
Moncada, a former vice-minister of the Presidency under Ernesto Pérez Balladares, currently under investigation, resigned from the then reigning political party , the PRD to campaign for Ricardo Martinelli’s during his run for the presidency.
Almengor is a former prosecutor who currently serves as security director in the Martinelli administration.
The appointments were announced Wednesday after being agreed upon by the Cabinet Council.
The two must now be approved by the National Assembly, expected to call a special session to handle the issue. Many believe it will be a rubber stamp issue.
Zaira Santamaría de Latorraca and Wilfredo Sáenz were named the deputy justices, who will serve when one of the judges is absent.
The choices have been criticized because they appear to be made as political favors rather than to bring about change to the country’s judicial system that was heavily touted by Martinelli during the campaign.
Critics say , that both were the "anointed" by the President, as the two discussed the information with friends and fellow lawyers.