Martinelli booed as storm builds over court ruling

THE OFFICIAL opening of the new Electoral Tribunal palatial offices on Wednesday November 6 was intended to be a day of celebration, but instead protestors at the site booed President Ricardo Martinelli.

They were holding a vigil in the protesting a Supreme Court judgment overruling an earlier ruling by the Electoral Tribunal.(TE) 

Earlier in the day the judges of the TE held a press conference to oppose the controversial ruling by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court reversing a decision of the Electoral Court , which ordered the suspension of a political commercial to discredit the image of the presidential candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Juan Carlos Navarro.
The TE judge expressed concern over what was branded as an " intrusion " of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ ) in matters not within its competence . " This is a sad day and fatal to our democracy," said the words of Erasmo Pinilla , presiding judge of the TE.
He described the situation as worrisome , because "our role has been usurped and invaded by an external body that has no moral or constitutional authority to do so" .

“It opens a door for any kind of arbitrariness" in the elections of 2014,said TE vice president , Eduardo Valdés Escoffery .
The Supreme Court judge in the process , Alejandro Moncada Luna, said in a statement that the provisional measure "does not constitute a decision on electoral matters ," since what is required is a possible injury to human rights .
Through a press release he said that it is up to the Third Chamber , as stipulated in Article No. 97, Section 15 of the Judicial Code . On this issue , the Government urged the TE and the Court to overcome their differences , without the involvement of third parties and in accordance with the procedure established by law .
The vigil was attended by political leaders and civil society organizations calling for respect for Panamanian democracy. In addition to the candidates for president of the republic, Juan Carlos Varela , and Juan Carlos Navarro
The presiding judge of the Electoral Tribunal , Erasmo Pinilla , thanked popular support received by the governing body People who participated in the vigil booed Martinelli , when he arrived to attend the inauguration of the Tribunal .

The Archbishop of Panama , José Domingo Ulloa , asked in his speech that the autonomy of the Electoral Tribunal be respected .