Riot police inside and outside National Assembly

Riot police surrounded Panama'sNational Assembly on Friday, September 14 as legislators began the third reading of the controversial  and divisive electoral reform bill.

Following demonsrations, inside and outside the National Assembly during the earlier debates the deputy chairman of the body, Sergio Galvez ordered that the sessions would be only in the presence of legislators, staff and the media.
Gálvez also ordered the reinforcement the surveillance agents of the National Police, a move that was criticized by opposition deputies because because police were posted in the area of the chamber.
Meanwhile he coordinator of the Front for Democracy, Mariano Mena, told local media that the group would continue peaceful protests in support of deputies opposed to the bill, and if pushed through by the ruling Democratic Change (CD) party would stage a mass march of its 32 member groups to the presidential palace calling on President Ricardo Martinelli to veto the bill.
The bill was fathered by the CD party which rejected recommendations of an electoral committee which had spent 11 months studying the existing electoral system.