Martinelli ultimatum, rifts CD party

SIGNS OF REBELLION in the ranks of the CD Party are ballooning  following a “toe the party line” ultimatum from the party’s founder and iron fisted leader, Ricardo Martinelli who threatened a recall for those who fail to sign.
He also appointed former Minister of Labor Alma Cortés as president of the party who has repeated his threat. Her status as president in uncertain, as it has not been certified by the Electoral Tribunal (TE).
CD Vice President Rogelio Baruco, described her attitude as “hasty and disrespectful” because her appointment as president has not been endorsed by the majority of the board.
“Members can hope that the board is the one that makes the final decision [on the president in charge]. She [Cortes] may take the initiative or desire to implement the recall, but if it does not have the approval of a majority of the board, it’s not going to get anywhere, “said Baruco.
All actions of Cortes would be in doubt because her appointment is “illegal”.
He questioned Martinelli’sdecision to appoint Cortés.
“I believe that one person is not the one to make a decision like this, it simply must get to the board. I did not even get a call on this.. The president alone cannot decide this, he must take into account that such decisions have to go to the board.”said Baruco.
Arturo Vallarino, former vice president of the country also warned that the appointment of Cortés violates party statutes, which state that the decisions of the nominal president of the group should be exercised by any of the four vice-presidents and the secretary general.
Aníbal Galindo, also a CD vice chairman and former presidential adviser to Martinelli, rejected the threats of recall. “All members of a political party are important and of course deputies s are particularly important … I am not a friend of setting deadlines or launching threats, I am rather a friend of constructive dialogue between all sectors of the party. I do not see these postures uniting the party, “Galindo said.
As for the decision to appoint Cortés as CD president , Galindo said he will wait for the Electoral Tribunal (TE) to give its opinion.
CD deputy and vice chairman of the National Assembly, Raul Hernandez, said that any decision to make Cortés president would be illegal, because her appointment was given without consulting the board of the party and because it has not been recognized by the TE.
“I do not know who is supporting her [Cortes]; the board, the caucus, mayors do not see her as being in charge, so she is not not president of anything. No one has heeded, everyone laughed and rejected that position, ” said Hernandez.
For this reason in the CD “nobody is concerned” about the ultimatum from Martinelli.
“Her appointment as president has no validity, she is just a member of the party,” said the Anton deputy.
He said that they decided to postpone the caucus meeting to Monday January 4 to discuss the Martinelli ultimatum, which expired Dec.31