12 organized civil groups challenge Assembly

A DOZEN  organized civil society groups met on  Tuesday, March 27, to voice their concerns as the National Assembly refuses to be accountable for $82 million used in donations and contracts between 2014 and 2017.

Olga de Obaldía, director of  the  Panamanian chapter of  Transparency International was accompanied by representatives of the Independent Movement (Movin), The Foundation for Protection of the Sea, The Urban Citizen Network of Panama, Together We Decide, Central General Autónoma de Trabajadores de Panamá, Space for Women, Citizen Alliance for Justice, Center for Environmental Impact,  and  the I am Afro Panameña Organization.

Another point that concerns the groups is the refusal of the National Assembly to comply with the order of the Supreme Court of Justice to publish the report on the expenses of the donations and contracts.

This reaction of organized civil society came a day after it was known that the Supreme Court did not admit awarning of unconstitutionality presented by the president of the  Assembly, Yanibel Ábrego, against the Law of Transparency. Abrego, through the legal adviser of the National Assembly, former  Supreme Court Judge  Jerry Wilson, asked for the invalidating of  Article 20 of the Transparency Law, which establishes a fine of  twice the salary of  those who do not provide the required information reports La Prensa.

In a communiqué read by de Obaldía, it was emphasized that while the world moves towards more instances of transparency and accountability, the attempt of the Assembly to expand opacity “puts us on alert for the threat it represents for the right of citizens to receive truthful and timely information about the management of public funds.