Shaping Panamas future over lunch

WITH the turbulent election behind, the future of Panama’s political future is getting an airing over lunch tables. in some of the capital city's high end restaurants.

Among recent sightings reported by La Prensa was Supreme Court Judge Alejandro Moncada Luna meeting on Tuesday, May 13,  with entrepreneur Felipe "Pipo" Virzi, a close confidant of President Ricardo Martinelli, and pro-government Deputy Manuel Cohen.

The meeting was dubbed by Moncada Luna as an informal event. He said judges are forbidden to talk about politics.
At another table in the same restaurant was José Luis "Popi" Varela of the Panameñista party and PRD leader Benicio Robinson. Varela is the brother of President-elect Jaun Carlos Varela, who has publicly called for the resignation of Moncada Luna says La Prensa
Upon leaving, Varela said that they talked about a possible alliance of both groups for the legislative period that begins July 1. Varela said that he wanted to resume the "pro democracy pact" signed by the Panameñistas, the PRD and the Partido Popular.
He said that the pact covers 22 points, such as,health economics and justice. He said it is being promoted for the sake of the governability of the next administration.In another restaurant on the same day Martinelli was meeting with former CD presidential candidate José Domingo Arias and CD Secretary General Rómulo Roux.
It was the first time that Arias appeared publicly since his defeat in the elections May 4.
Martinelli said that they discussed the restructuring of the CD. Arias acknowledged that both he and his advisers were "wrong" in the strategy they used in the election. Arias said that he was surprised by the result, but added that he learned "lessons" from the defeat.