Politics not a commodity and voters not customers

THERE ARE Few proposals and lots of attacks and dirty tricks in Panama’s election says the second report of the Observation Bureau of the Electoral Commission of Justice and Peace.

In a report that will surprise few, the Commission’s board members said on Monday, March 31, that after monitoring the media, it was evident that politicians have focused on campaigning and not to promote their proposals.

The report says that the campaigns have been based on personal attacks and dirty wars between the candidates.
Similarly, it states that attacks have been carried out attacks against the Electoral Tribunal, however none has discredited the institution as such , so that transparency and trust that citizens have in the entity is reflected.
The observation team said that that a better "fair " regulation for independent candidates is required.
Maribel Jaén , director of the Commission for Justice and Peace , regent of the Electoral Ethics Pact , said politicians must understand that "politics is not a commodity and citizens are not customers."

Similar comments regarding dirty tricks were voiced on Sunday By Archbishop Jose Domingo.