Panamas workshy money hungry lawmakers

Only four  of the 71  Deputies “serving’  in the National  Assembly (AN) managed to find the time to attended each of the 70 plenary sessions from July 1 to October 31

But  59 of them  did have time to request licenses to be absent from their seats without  getting a discount from their $7,000  monthly pay check according to a survey published by La Prensa .

The organic regulation of the AN allows the  lawmakers to request temporary  absences.  The option, according to the regulation, enables them to “temporarily separate from their functions” and   they are replaced by their substitute. If the substitute does not show up the seat sits empty.

The deputies, do not get discounted  for “unjustified” absences nor do   their deputies, who

earn $2,000 d a month, although the internal regulation lists  the measure since 2009.

Among the deputies who asked for most paid leave are Vidal García , from Cambio Democrático (CD) , in 68 of the 70

sessions;  he is followed by Panamenista    Florentino Ábrego and Edwin Zúñiga CD. (67 each).

The general secretary of the PRD and deputy Pedro Miguel González eas  licensed in 60 sessions, and Rubén Frías, CD, in 59.

The Panameñista Gabriel Panky Soto requested license in 58 of the 70 sessions and supposedly replaced by  his deputy, but he was absent on 42 occasions, so the seat was empty.

His colleague José Pepe Castillo applied for a license 42 times and had to be replaced by his deputy, but he  too was absent from 38 of them.

The Panamanianist Abrego received a license in 67 sessions; his deputy replaced him 29 times and was absent 38 times.

Then there are  of deputies who neither attend the plenary session nor ask for a license nor send the substitute. That is like  PRD members Aibán Velarde, Samir Gozaine and Néstor Guardia.

The deputy and president of Panameñista, José Luis Varela , was absent 39 times and an d four  times his enabled  deputy  did not attend.

If the “no-to-reelection” movement gathers strength some of the missing deputies might see their seats occupied by new faces.