CD stalwarts will continue rule at national enterprises

WHOEVER wins the upcoming election the hand of President Ricardo Martinelli, and his party will still be in a position to pull strings in major entities whoever wins the upcoming election as he moves to staff management and boards with party faithful.
The latest target for absolute control of the board and management , through legislative change is Tocumen SA.
A bill, which will be discussed in the current special session of the National Assembly, states that the manager and some of the directors of this state enterprise. shall be appointed for a period of seven years. And all shall be appointed by Martinelli in a period not exceeding 30 days after the law is enacted .

The reform will change the course Martinelli had chosen himself in 2009 when the government amended the law governing Tocumen , SA with the intention that most management positions were freely appointed and removed, says La Prensa.
The draft follows the same pattern of the law that created the National Revenue Authority of Panama (ANIP ) and reforms to the legislation of the Panama Maritime Authority ( AMP ).
In May, the President appointed Luis Cucalón as ANIP manager for a period of seven years. So the official will be in office until 2020.
On Tuesday December 17 , the full Legislature ratified the appointment of the administrator of the AMP Roberto Linares, a close friend of Martinellis, after the Assembly approved Law 91 of 2013 , which extended from five to seven years the period of such appointment.
In the case of Tocumen SA, the entity is under the administration of Juan Carlos Pino, who continued in the post despite the breakdown of the alliance between the Arnulfista Party – by which he was appointed, and the ruling Democratic Change.