OPINION: President skips country in crisis

Today Panama faces a moment of frustration and indignation at the irresponsible behavior of the organs of the State, each one more indifferent and obstinate than the other.

The entire nation is hostage to myopia, selfishness and moral vacuum of the public powers. Most of the deputies have shown an Olympian disrespect for the legal protocols: dismantled the Credentials Committee and paralyzed the transfer of budgetary items necessary to fulfill fundamental tasks of the Government.

And they have turned their backs on the popular clamor for justice. Initiatives such as “civil death” and The statute of limitations for corruption offenses have not been aired by a legislative plenary more entertained with trivialities and with their own agendas than dedicated to attending the general well-being.

The president of the National Assembly reiterates with her actions that she has not the least interest in Panamanians knowing the truth of irregular use of funds or what the deputies have done. Their maneuvers seek to dismantle the Law of Transparency and avoid any hint at their obligation to be accountable.

In the Judicial Branch, the situation is not different. The erratic failures of the magistrates threaten investigations that have taken months or years to be carried out. In most cases, deliberately ignoring the speed needed to achieve social peace before the restlessness provoked by high profile cases. its failures make us see that there is no certainty of punishment for those who looted the State’s funds.

For its part, the executive branch persists in refusing to recognize that there are institutional problems that must be confronted. It is irresponsible to insist on cutting ribbons with a mentality that any concrete need can be solved by a concrete work.

The President of the Republic must lead the state ship until June 30, 2019, without hesitation or indifference. However, in the midst of this institutional crisis, he has opted to travel, as if he wanted to avoid facing the problem. The promises of transparency and combatting corruption – which were his electoral platform in the 2014 presidential campaign –  he still can be honest before the citizens that expected strong actions to strengthen the rule of law.

A broken institutional framework is a threat to democracy, which is why it needs action. This begins by giving up personal and partisan interests. Otherwise, we will only have to live as relics of the great people that we could be and of the great nation that we renounce just to destroy ourselves …LA PRENSA,  hpyporhoy Mar. 26