CD and Panamenistas cosy up over lunches

LUNCH MEETINGS between President Ricardo Martinelli, leading lights of Democratic Change and prominent figures in the opposition Panameñista party have put the political rumor mills on high alert.

Officially little has happened at the meetings and on the agenda were national issues related to the economy and the country's development.

On Thursday, August 1, reports La Prensa , Democratic Change presidential candidate Jose Domingo Arias and Arnulfo Arias and Panameñista leaders Olivares and Manuel Lobo and Panameñista legislators Miguel Salas, Luis Eduardo Quiros and Adolfo Valderrama had a lunch meeting
On Friday, August 2, Martinelli met with the former Minister of Economy and Finance and Vice President of the Party, Alberto Vallarino.
Did these meetings concern the Panameñista leadership? The answer is a categorical "no", according to the statements of Panameñista deputy and lAlcibiades Vasquez and national director of the party, Jorge Barakat.
Vasquez said that all Panamanians have the right to meet with whomever they wish.
However, he pointed out that there is no official contact "of any kind" between the Panamenistas and Democratic Change.
The deputy suggested that the ruling may be interested in seeing how to weaken or divide the opposition, and in this case have begun with the Panameñista Party.
Barakat stressed that the party leaders are free to meet with whomever they want and in the end the Panameñista Party will concentrate on analyzing government plan.
Barakat added that the Panameñista Party is focused on seeing how to achieve a reduction in the cost of the basic family food basket.
Juan Carlos Varela is president of the Panameñistas and Vice-President of Panama, and formed an alliance with Martinelli prior to the last election and the two parties formed a coalition which broke up when Martinelli fired Varela from his post as foreign minister.