Martinelli reneges on presidential deal

The agreement between the two parties of Panama's ruling coalition, Panamanista  and Democratic Change (CD), on the presidential candidate for the 2014 elections is dead.

It was killed Saturday, August 27 by President Ricardo Martinelli at the beginning of a weekend campaign to enroll an additional 60,000 CD party members, encouraging loyalists in  other groups to jump ship and join  the CD band wagon.

It is a syren call  that many will heed in a political environment where being in office is often regarded as building a retirement fund and where on the fringes of power gaining or holding a job may depend on political alligances.

Said Martinelli :"I want the people of Panama to give us the opportunity to continue to deepen the changes."

According to the president: "The alliance is with the Panamanian people and the people who are willing to make a change."

In 2009, Martinelli made a deal with Juan Carlos Varela, president of the Panamanista Party  and currently Vice-President and Foreign Minister of Panama, that  Varela would be the presidential candidate for elections in 2014.

The deal was hatched out during a meeting at the residence of the then U.S. Ambassador to Panama, Barbara Stephenson, and led to the forming of the coalition that now governs the country.

Asked what the future held for Varela’s bid  , Martinelli told La Prensa: "I think he is can run for his side and we  will run on our own."

Varela avoided referring to the topic.

Relationships in the coalition government have been tense in recent months with representatives from both parties voicing strong  opinions  on several issues, notably the earlier reneging on a deal for the current president of the National Assembly  to  be a member of the junior party in the alliance and over  the CD push to introduce a run off electoral system if the presidential candidate does not win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

 On these Martinelli  intoned: "I regret any discrepancies in our alliance."

The CD  was created and funded by supermarket entrepreneur Martinelli who had served in cabinet posts in previous governments including the PRD (Peoples Democratic Republican) rule of Ernesto Balladares and of the Panamanista era of President Myera Moscoso, but his eye was always on the scepter of power  which he grasped in 2009 with a massive majority over PRD rival Balbina Herrera .

He is proud of leading a “government of businessmen” but is regarded as autocratic by many opponents including civil groups, and has had numerous confrontations with the media and civil rights proponents.
Sitting members of CD have been pushing for a change in the constitution which would allow Martinelli a second  term in office without the current mandatory gap.