PRD divisions and power grab out in the open

THE DEEP DIVISIONS within the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), are fully out in the open after a failed coup in the Assembly organized by Party leader Benicio Robinson, that would have seen an attempt to impeach President Juan Carlos Varela.

Deputy Pedro Miguel González revealed on Tuesday, July 18 the latest plan of the leadership of the,party to stay in power until 2017.
In interview with TVN news, Gonzalez said that Robinson wanted to “take over the Assembly” during the July 1 legislative elections by creating a majority of the 26 members of the PRD caucus along with members of the CD.
The candidate of the faction led by Robinson was PRD Deputy with a checkered record, Crispiano Adames.
Prior to that election, he said the Executive National Committee (CEN) of the PRD established that the extraordinary national directory would be held July 12, which would be an attempt to consolidate power.
But, according to González, Robinson’s plans failed to materialize as he was unable to stop a “dissident” faction of six deputies, which included González, from forming a majority coalition with the Panameñista party to retain control of the legislature. That coalition elected PRD Deputy Rubén De León to lead the Assembly.
González said that had Adames won, the PRD CEN would have sought to stay in power through 2017, instead of calling elections next year.
However, that did not occur, González said
So plan “B” of the Robinson faction was to delay the elections until October. That proposal was narrowly passed, defeating a proposal to have the election in May as proposed by the De León faction.