Party leaders leave onprivate family trip amides coalition disensions

In the midst of what many observera are calling a “political earthquake” in the governing coalition, President, Ricardo Martinelli, and Vice President Juan Carlos Varela, and their children  left Friday, May 27, on a "private trip".

During the weekthe political pact between the , Democratic Change (CD) andPanameñista parties fell apart and strong words have been exchanged in the National Assembly and inside the Presidential Palace.

No reason or destination has been give for the journey. but with the presence of family members children, it  suggests that it is a pleasure trip. says La Prensa.  Some rumor mills suggested the presidential party might have been crossing the Atlantic  to attend the European Championship final between Manchester United and Barelona, at Wembley Stadium in London.

Mireya Moscoso, a former president and a party colleague of Varela, said that he has left the Panamanians "in a political limbo" since he left without explaining the future of the alliancegovernment.
Another  prominent party member  Antonio Dominguez said this is an "insult "to Panama.”
CD deputy  Rep. Roger Baruch, said he found the trip "incredible." According to La Prensa.
The surprise "private tour" of the president, Ricardo Martinelli, and his deputy and foreign minister, Juan Carlos Varela, added more uncertainty to a crisis that has the three major political parties the issue of runoff and the election of directors of the National Assembly.
This year, that control was supposed to be a Panamenista , according to a pact with CD. The candidate was  Alcibiades Vasquez, but the CD last Thursday launched its own candidate, Mario Miller.
The current president of the Assembly and party colleague of Martinelli, José Muñoz, who on Thursday put forward Miller said that if the Panamenista Party wanted to leave the government, that was  its  decision.

By the weekend he had became more conciliatory: We will be discussing this. This is not to breaking the alliance because we have a difference in the Assembly, "Munoz said.
But La Prensa reported  that CD deputy Sergio Gálvez- maintained his belligerent tone.

 There have been critics of Munoz from within his own party who have blamed him for creating the crises.
Munoz had "sold the idea" that  the CD had four votes in the caucus of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) to obtain an absolute majority (36) to approve the proposed run off structure  for future elections if the CD did not have the full support of its 21 coalition partners. Munoz now has the task of repairing relations with the coalition partners.
CD deputy and director Rogelio Baruch with his own ambitions to be president of the Assembly  was  reported to have told La Prensa.  "no one from the CD caucus consulted me".

" I keep my aspirations to the Presidency of the Assembly and I think I deserve it. I was not consulted at all.I am the first vice president of Democratic Change, I have a track record of 13 years since its founding, but that seems worthless," he complained.
"My position is very clear. I do not think Miller is the best candidate.” Personally I would rather vote for Alcibiades Vasquez," he added.
La Prensa says Mario Miller's name is more closely linked to a case involving a suitcase, while serving as a deputy.
On November 22, 1994, Miller, then a PRD legislator, was caught red handed in a restaurant in Bella Vista, accepting a briefcase with $100,000, which he had asked for from  a group of traders .
He was sentenced to 44 months in prison on charges of extortion and conspiracy to commit a crime/
In 2000, the Court overturned his conviction and  he gained his freedom. He resigned from the PRD and enrolled in  the CD.