OPINION: Panama electoral alliances abandon principles

In theory, political parties are organizations that seek to exercise public power to develop a government program, according to their ideology. Electoral alliances are made between parties or movements that have common affinities or purposes. In the final stage of the conformation of the electoral offer for the elections of May 5, 2019, the scenario is characterized by various unions of convenience of organizations that historically were adversaries or that postulate dissimilar ideological programs. None of that matters. Faced with a fragmented electoral reality, all votes add up, and therefore, nothing is written in stone: the budding electoral alliances are the result of decades of demagoguery and agreements of impunity. In the face of great national issues, proposals are scarce and the lack of principles is evident as an essential part of the electoral agreements. The great political parties show us once again that they have ceased to be part of the solution of our problems, and have become one of their causes. The country cannot tolerate more game playing. –LA PRENSA, Dec. 28