Convenience marriage reelects Assembly boss

The  marriage of  convenience between the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Cambio Democrático  (CD), achieved its objective of reelecting  controversial deputy Yanibel Ábrego as president of the National Assembly (AN), for the last year of its time in office

Fifty Of the 56 deputies who attended supported  Ábrego a staunch member of the CD founded by currently jailed  Ricardo Martinelli to further his presidential ambitions.  She is wrapped in a confrontation with the Comptroller over her refusal to allow forensic auditors to examine staff payment returns submitted by deputies.

On behalf of the ruling Panamenista party, Jose Luis Varela criticized the opposition’s position and nominated Juan Carlos Arango of the Popular Party, for the presidency of the Assembly in the last period of government.

Arango got 17 votes and Zulay Rodriguez (PRD), Ana Matilde Gómez (Independent) and Athen Athanasiadis (PRD) abstained.

The in-house dalliance,  developed during the fight with the administration of President Varela is likely to be short-lived as deputies gird up for the May 2019 elections and come face to face on the hustings.

Meanwhile, a growing number of lawmakers are being implicated in the latest pig trough scandal as Panama’s Comptroller General, Federico Humbert, follows the money trail from the public treasury to personal bank accounts.

In the CD Party names are going forward in the nomination primaries from nearly a dozen stalwarts facing embezzlement and corruption trials who aim to run for posts from Panama Mayor to President.

Under Panama’s quaint rules, if they are nominated their next court appearance will be some six months after the election. So win or lose they will delay judgment day.