22-year-old  political giant killer creates history

Juan Diego Vásquez a 22-year-old political neophyte running as an independent has become the most voted candidate in Panama. 

The young criminal law student ran for office in San Miguelito and with 33, 693 votes crushed old guard politicians including Zulay Rodríguez, Raúl Pineda and Leandro Ávila, from the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD).  Who between them mustered 44,867

Circuit 8-6 is multi-nominal where seven candidates are chosen.  

Young and without party allegiance he ran on a platform with a proposal that includes reforms to the regulations of the National Assembly, a  fight against corruption and changes in public contracts.  

“People knew they had a choice,” he said on TVN Noticias

As a member of the National Youth Network for Transparency, he had previously presented to the Assembly a bill to prevent corruption offenses. Now, he promises a proposal that includes in the law of public contracting norms that oblige the contractor companies to link the communities and their residents in the work they do.

He hopes to promote reforms to establish a transparent and public vote in the plenary sessions and in the permanent committees of the National Assembly.

He also wants lawmakers to be paid for work performed  and  to establish that the salary of a  deputy is relative to the number of votes in which he has  participated as a member of permanent commissions and of the plenary itself so that for