57% of Panama’s elected officials are political dinosaurs

57% of the representatives of the district of Panama have been in office for more than a decade and only 23% are in their first term.

Two councilors, Sergio ‘Chello’ Gálvez, from El Chorrillo, and Elías Vigil, from San Martín, have been favored with the vote of their constituents for seven consecutive terms.

Gálvez, in addition, has spent five periods as a deputy of the National Assembly for the 8-7 circuit. His substitute, Keira Navarro is the one who has been representing him on the Council in the last two terms.

Elías Vigil, like Gálvez, has been a representative for seven terms, that is, since before the US invasion, in 1989.

Vigil, who represents one of the least populated corregimientos in the capital city (approximately 4,400 inhabitants), confirmed to La Estrella that he aspires to an eighth term as head of the San Martín community council, in La Mesa.

Vigil is not the only one in his family with political inclinations, since his son Elías Vigil Pérez is a deputy for the 8-10 circuit and will aspire, in the next elections, to the Mayor of Panama, for the Panameñista Party.

Next on the list is the official Ramón Ashby, who has led the community board of Calidonia for five periods (almost 25 years). A reality that is shared by representatives Mario Kennedy, from San Felipe, and Jair Martínez, from Santa Ana. On the list of those who have been around for nearly two decades (four terms) are: Carlos Herrera, from San Francisco; Carlos ‘Tito’ Lee, from Pueblo Nuevo; Hugo Henríquez, from Pacora, and José Muñoz, from Tocumen, who like the Vicar of Bray is adept at changing his political stripes and has been part of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, Cambio Democrático, the Panameñista Party, and currently chairs the Alianza party, in addition to having been president of the National Assembly and formed part the Central American Parliament

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