CD Troika order internal witch hunt

A DISCIPLINARY investigation against  Cambio Democratico (CD) deputies Raúl Hernández and Yanibel Abrego for alleged violations of the party’s statutes. was opened Monday, July 11.

The investigation in connection with the vote to select the new administration of the National Assembly Both Hernandez and Abrego were elected as second vice presidents of the Assembly after agreements were reached among members of the benches of the Panameñista and PRD parties, as well as with deputies from the CD.

The CD leadership had instructed members not to engage in unauthorized coalitions within the Assembly.

“The performances of these members of the party are very serious and constitute acts of indiscipline,” party officials said.

Earlier 16 CD members were described as traitors by ex-presidnt Ricardo  Martinelli owned newspapers.  Critica and Panama America.

At the start of the year, deputies revolted against an e-mailed  order from Martinelli  to sign  a pledge of  allegiance to the party  or be expelled.  Members also rebelled against a Martineli  dictat  appointing Alma Lorena Cortes president of the party that Martinelli  founded funded and led until he fled the country in January 2015.

He now rules the CD party from his apartment in Miamia while  facing  an Interpol Red Alert arrest  warrant, which his lawyers are trying to quash.

Cortes is  under  criminal investigations over “irregularities” while serving as a Minister of Labor and Workforce Development   in the Martinelli cabinet.

Abrego, in an interview with La Prensa, on  Sunday, July 10, said what is going on in the party “is not democracy” and said that the decisions of the party should not be made by a handful of people.

She said that those people are Ricardo Martinelli, Alma Cortés and Luis Eduardo Camacho who was Martinelli’s spin doctor when he was still in office, and has continued running a pro-Martinelli radio program ever since.