Tortoise approach death knell for key election promise

President Juan Carlos Varela was nicknamed “The Tortoise” early on  in his term  and his slow moves on a key election promise have likely ensured its demise 

He earned the title for his perceived slowness in making decisions, although for some it was expanded to the Flying Tortoise  because of his frequent trips to faraway places producing  few results although his visits to the Vatican delivered World Youth Day  (WYD)  to Panama, which will stretch the country’s resources  and which critics claim is absorbing more of his attention than matters like  the Constituent Assembly he promised the country five years ago.

During his final report to the nation, delivered at the strife-torn National Assembly this week he revived the Constituent Assembly promise and called for a public referendum through a ballot during the May 5 elections.

The last-minute add on got little support from major political parties and was described by some as a tactic to divert attention from unfulfilled promises, while others suggested he was more focused on WYD than the challenges facing the country including corruption the judiciary and divisions between lawmakers the executive and civil society.

The magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal (TE) moving  more swiftly than the  Aesop character reacted on  Thursday to a note from Varela on the feasibility of a non binding  plebiscite: “The only possibility” of including an additional ballot in the next elections would be through the approval of a bill in the National Assembly.”

The presiding judge of the TE, Heriberto Araúz, explained in a letter to the President that the Cabinet would have to approve the legislative initiative through resolution and authorize the respective minister to be presented before the Plenary of the Assembly.

In the note that to the TE, the president asked what would be the most appropriate way to call a Consultation by means of Executive Decree, a new Cabinet Resolution or a Cabinet Resolution based on previously approved law.

Araúz warned that in the month of January it would be had to approve a law that allows them to include it. The Electoral Code added Araúz, does not allow an additional ballot for a plebiscite or a consultation of this nature.