Spin master gets TE thumbs down on election bid

PRESIDENTIAL spin maestro Luis Eduardo Camacho, failed to talk his way around Panama’s Electoral Tribunal (TE) and run for election as a Democratic Change (CD) candidate for the Central American Parliament 

The decision of the highest electoral authority was based on that Camacho did not comply with Article 27 of the Electoral Code, which states: "Not eligible to run for elected office are public servants who exercised at any time from six months before the following positions: deputy Prime Minister and State secretary and deputy secretary general, directors and general, national, regional and provincial deputy directors of ministries. 

Camacho was State secretary of Communication.
A seat in The Central American Parliament is widely regarded as a sinecure, in a body that has no status. During his 2009 campaign President Martinelli vowed to remove Panama from the body.
On February 26 the TE began the process, but Camacho and his lawyers, filed a motion for dismissal by arguing that there was preliminary evidence that the institution had no authority to investigate the case.