Constitutional change package facing rough ride in Assembly

Panama  Vice President, José Gabriel Carrizo  has delivered to the National Assembly of lawmakers a preliminary draft of constitutional reforms, produced by the Council of the National Agreement for Development and approved by the Cabinet Council.

It contains items that will be sure to trigger strong reactions from deputies unused to seeing their “rights” and privileges challenged.

“For years we have demanded profound transformations of our Constitution, that refresh the political model and the vices it has generated,” Carrizo said in his presentation before the legislative chamber.

Carrizo assured that the reform package will guarantee the separation of powers and will diminish “excessive presidentialism … correct the gaps that some have used to take advantage of power (…) We spent 5 years of paralysis, indecision and incapacity that caused enormous damage to the population, and the executive paralysis ended on July 1,” Carrizo said.

The vice president said he hopes “the Assembly will attend the issue quickly the issue. “We begin a process of revitalization of democracy. This Assembly will have the unique opportunity to be on the right side. We do not want cosmetic reforms and we will not give in to political and economic pressures,”Carrizo said.

The preliminary draft, which has 40 points, includes issues such as the trial of deputies and magistrates of the Supreme Court, a change to the method to choose magistrates and greater budget for the Public Ministry and the Judicial Branch, which would correspond to 2% of the General State Budget.

It is also proposed to limit the re-election period for deputies to only two consecutive periods.

Enrique de Obarrio, of the National Coalition, indicated that now begins the most important stage, where the “first state organ initiates the great debate”.

Juan Manuel Castulovich, of Coalition, said that the reforms include the creation of a Constitutional Court, which would be responsible for judging the magistrates of the Supreme Court.

Deputy Leandro Ávila, will preside over the Government Commission, where the reform package will arrive. He assured that there would be a broad debate and with citizen participation.