Electoral judge concerned over 10 fold increase in private donations

THE JUDGES of Panama’s  Electoral Tribunal(TE) addressed the plenary of the National Assembly on Wednesday, October 12 to express their views on  reforms to the electoral code, which were approved last week in first debate.

Judge Eduardo Valdés Escoffery said, for example, that one of the proposals that most concerns him is the increase in the limit of private donations that a candidate can accept.

The Commission of Government approved an increase that was 10 times the amount proposed by the TE.

“There are constituencies that have different sizes, different complexities,” the judge said.

“We are starting to work on a formula that is based on the constituencies, because the formula is based on the voters.”

For example, a district that has 600,000 voters, such as Panama City, has a spending limit of $3 million, an amount that Escoffery said is too high.

He added that the Chairman of the  Commission of Government,  Quibian Panay has expressed a willingness to discuss the issue further.

“I am optimistic that the Assembly, in second debate, will meet with us and find a solution,” he said.