Martinelli moves away from Varela endorsement

With a perceived growing split in Panama’s ruling coalition President Ricardo Martinelli on Monday June 6, moved sharply away from  his earlier promises of  supporting VP Juan Carlos Varela  to replace him in 2014.

On the same day that Varela was reported as having said that he would be the presidential candidate for the alliance of the Democratic Change (CD) Party and the Panamenista Party, Martinelli  said that no one can be sure of what will happen in the year 2014,  and the candidates for the presidency will be defined within the parties through primary elections.

That statement is a marked departure from Martinelli's position earlier this year, when he vowed to support his vice president, Juan Carlos Varela, for the presidency in 2014. the split between the has caused Martinelli to waver with his support says La Prensa  
But Varela has remained firm in his commitment to the ruling government coalition, and has said that he plans on heading the alliance into the next election. He said his party is also committed to the alliance, an attitude that belies statements made by many party members in the National Assembly
 Varela, , said his goal right now is to "fight until the last day to fulfill campaign promises."

But his brother, legislator Jose Luis "Popi" Varela said that his party will not support a law calling for a second round of voting in presidential elections because it violates the Constitution. 

He said the issue has been analyzed within the party and that, if approved, the law would "create political instability."

He reiterated   that the party would  continue to support Alcibiades Vásquez for the presidency of the National Assembly. That election, which will be held in July, is looks likely to feature candidates from the two parties of the ruling coalition.

"We hope that sanity prevails," Varela said.