Panamenista dissidents out to replace presidential candidate

A group of Panameñistas have started a petition to force the removal of Juan Carlos Varela, the country’s Vice President, as the party's presidential candidate.

The movement is being led by Arnulfo Arias Olivares, grandson of three-time Panama president Arnulfo Arias Madrid.

Alejandro Pérez, who is also part of the movement, said the decision was made because Varela has a weak campaign. "We need to win with an alliance, and I feel that it is difficult to do so with a campaign as weak as Varela's," he said.
He said that the dissidents are looking for a candidate who has more strength and one who people from both inside and outside the party can support.
Pérez also said that there are leaders in several provinces and districts that are willing to join the movement to remove Varela.
Among the names being considered as replacements are former chancellors José Miguel Alemán and Arias Olivares, former President Mireya Moscoso's candidacy or former Panama Canal Administrator Alberto Aleman Zubieta.
Pérez said the group will wait until the party's convention in July to act.
Varela won Sunday's presidential primary with more than 99 percent of the vote. His brother, legislator José Luis Varela, said that the base of his party has already spoken.
"99.5 percent supported Juan Carlos Varela, and the remaining 0.5 percent have every right to support any other candidate that they want to," he said.
The end result will be a party that is consolidated behind his brother as a presidential candidate he said.