Election alliance honeymoon on shaky ground

THE WEDDING CAKE to celebrate an election alliance between the Panameñista party and the Partido Popular (PP) may be in the oven but   could fall apart before it is baked.

A group of members calling themselves "Verdes por Panamá" have announced their opposition to the marriage  announced by the families leaders on June 13.

Luciano Martínez, a representative of the movement, has appealed to the base of the party to reject the alliance, which he says is heading for defeat in the 2014 election.
A meeting was held with of party members from Colón, Panama and San Miguelito, met on Saturday, June 22 and more meetings to gain support for the movement are planned in Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui and the Azuero region to ask them to support the movement.
Rejection of the alliance, according to Martínez, lies in the fact that the group considers presidential candidate Juan Carlos Varela to be in the same mold as President Ricardo Martinelli.
That argument is shared by PP Vice President Aníbal Culiolis, who said last week, that the party would be better off with an alliance with the PRD.
Two PP vice-presidents have already resigned over the issue
The members said they will allow the decision to be made at the party's National Congress.
According to Martinez, more than 60 percent of the 25,298 members of the party reject the alliance.
The leaders of the party were meeting Sunday, June 23 to select the date for the National Congress.
PP President Milton Henríquez said he is convinced that the alliance is the best route for the party, as Varela will put the people first and lead the country to greater economic growth.
He said that the PRD did not want an actual alliance with the PP, but merely wanted to offer jobs to the party leaders.
 Observers point out that when coalitions are formed, ministerial posts are usually shared as happened with the Ricardo  Martinelli led CD party and the Panameñistas.

If you are playing the numbers game, a PRD-PP alliance would easily outnumber the card carrying CD members ut there are a lot of tricks,  dirty or clean, to be played before election day in May 2014.