CD mayoralty candidate pulls out of race

THE CROWDED LIST of those who aspire to be mayor of Panama shrank on Wednesday, July 17 with the announcement of the withdrawal of Social Development Minister Guillermo Ferrufino.

Ferrufino had earlier aspirations to run for president but, according to reports, was talked out of it by advisors, including President Ricardo Martinelli who told him to run for mayor. This came as a surprise to political observers as the current mayor Roxana Mendez was a founder member of the CD party and a onetime Martinelli insider.

She took over the reins at City Hall when Bosco Vallarino was urged by the president to step down for “health“ reasons.
So instead of a divisive nomination battle at the CD convention, the door would seem open to Mendez, although National Assembly president Sergio Galvez has also said he wants to grab the mayoralty scepter.If the result was based on who could distribute the most hams or other voter incentives he would be a shoe in.
Bobby Velasquez of the PRD was dirty-tricked out of the race in the last election and the city got to endure Bosco. This year President Martinelli used his Twitter campaign to expose some missteps of Velasquez and squashed the ambitions of the former head of Sinaproc before they had a chance to be tested. That leaves the PRD with Jose Fabrega who claims some hidden alliances and believes the PRD has a promising future. He’s right there. Promises are the lifeblood of politicians.

Panamenista hopeful Jose Isabel Blandon is still in the field. He staked his claim long back when he became the unpaid front man for the fading Bosco Vallarino. Former TV presenter Ana Perez is running for a cause, to being more culture into the city  rather than hoping to further political ambitions. Now that's a different take. She has the support of some well known figures like former Attorney General Ana Matilda Gomez,
Meanwhile Ferufino who announced his run on June 28 has sent a letter to La Prensa stating that he is withdrawing for health reasons and declared his unconditional support to the Government, and will continue in the coming months focusing on his work in the Mides, He will remain at his post “as long as President Ricardo Martinelli deems it necessary.”.
Minister Ferrufino closely supported the campaign of Jose Domingo Arias CD presidential candidate.
At that time Arias said. "We will provide a mayor to serve and not to be served, as have others,"

Now Arias has to decide whether or not to nail the Mendez flag to his  presidential campaign banner, as she was not an Arias supporter in the CD primaries. But politics is a game  for chameleons.

Whoever gets the job may well be faced with solving the city's garbage collection problem. President Martinelli took it away from the city and created a new entity which seems little further ahead.