Electoral Tribunal oks No to re-election campaign

 Panama’s  Electoral Tribunal  (TE)  has ruled that the ‘No re-election’ campaign organized by citizen groups is permissible, contrary to the claims of some deputies whose sinecures are threatened.

“Everyone can campaign civically, but this must be generalized, without identifying any particular candidate or party,” said a TE statement on Aug 28.   The clarification came after the Panamenista deputy Katleen Levy called  on  the TE  to regulate the    “dirty” campaign

A group of civil society and independent candidates went to the TE to demand a pronouncement on what was said by the deputy.

Meanwhile, there are divisions within the “No to re-election” movement with concerns that some seek to use the slogan to catapult into politics.

“We are the voice of the people asking for justice and transparency,” said Linda Loo, a candidate at 8-6, while Roberto Rodríguez, who also aspires to a popular election, said that “the objective is to displace the politicking and the merchandising of the State.”

Rodriguez said that nobody finances them as  claimed by Levy  “except for  Panamanians  tired   of corruption and abuse of the Constitution.”                                                     ‘

Freddy Pitty, of the group ‘Together We decide’ and candidate for deputy, said that the campaign of No re-election! does not have an owner. “It is a citizen expression, it is a way of channeling citizen disgust for the way in which politics are being carried out,”  he said

Pitty warned that a small group of candidates of ‘doubtful’ origin want to catapult their candidacy, taking advantage of a campaign that has gained so much strength not thanks to them.