Few accolades in year end review of Martinelli government

With the Ricardo Martinelli government  halfway through its mandate political analysts have chosen the start of a new year to sum up its bitter-sweet performance.

Says La Prensa  in a detailed report: “The path traveled by the entrepreneur who wanted to be president has been plagued by scandals and confrontations, but has also received accolades. What cannot be denied is that it has  already earned itsplace in history as a different government from those in place since  1990.”

For some, "different" has a positive connotation. For others, quite the opposite. The truth is that more and more people disapprove of Martinelli, who used to register over 60% approval ratings but  in the last two months has fallen 50%. 

Political analyst Mario Rognoni thinks  this fall  is "due to allegations of corruption in high profile cases, free land titling in  Juan Hombrón, Paitilla, the purchase of land premiums for building Chilibre a hospital, and the purchase of helicopters and radars from Finmeccanica in Italy, among other scandals.

"Such corruption, says the analyst, "seems unstoppable by submission to the Comptroller (Mona Lisa Bianchini), a former employee of the President in Super 99, and the absolute control of the Assembly and Executive and, it seems, the Judicial Branch."

Attorney Ebrahim Asvat points more to the absence of moral and ethical standards. "There is a problem with the type of personality that has come to power with Martinelli. The absence of these parameters has been expressed in public management. Statements that reflect on public acts, show lack of ethical rules … They  are a reflection of total amorality"

 Guillermo Marquez, forme the Electoral Tribunal Judge, believes that the problem lies with impunity."There has been a punishing demonstration to eliminate corruption. When the criticism has been of great magnitude, the government has moved its officers, without having  to respond to justice. "

Martinelli does best when evaluating the material works he has produced if you leave aside the corruption.

Rognoni thinks the administration started on the right foot compliance for several of his campaign promises."In the first half  he has already managed to meet a lot, for example '100 to 70 ', the universal scholarship, delivering free school supplies … and has begun the Metro, the Metro Bus and road realignment."

He believes citizens receive little information, and that the government "does not take measures to reduce the discomfort that citizens face every day by the advancement of these works."

The ex magistrate also refers to the campaign promises concerning justice, institutional, separation of powers, respect for the law and the strengthening of democracy. "Those which are the lifeblood of the nation, have shown no progress, but gone backward," he says.

Asvat questions who receive the benefits of competitive bidding and the price of the projects. "The government is running with ongoing projects, and has developed a media strategy for  projects that are implemented as faits accomplis. And you wonder: Where are the 500 jumbo stores, new prisons, the city government, the third bridge over the Canal in the Pacific, and the reduction in fuel prices and the basket?”

Martinelli is undoubtedly an eccentric president reflected in his comments on other people and his Twitter comments. Says Rognoni: "If something has shown he has a different style of governing is  his lack of oratory. His speeches are totally vernacular, almost tacky, but the style has been enjoyed by some tired of speakers whose  credibility they doubt … as President argues  the employer often arises, "hence the desire to have everything immediately, ordering as if an owner, and not as a President. His excessive show of authority leads him to lose popularity."

Neither Marquez nor Asvat see the style of the president as something positive. "Martinelli has little respect for democratic institutions and finds pleasure in using any route  to meet objectives but that style, has encountered obstacles that forced him to curb his will on issues such as the mining law, the re-election, the runoff and labor reforms" said Asvat

Marquez thinks the government is characterized by an informality that causes apprehension, which in turn generates mistrust. "That lack of trust leads to the loss of leadership, where the less formal creates  more distrust, and greater distrust, leads to increasing ungovernability."

Market analyst Jaime Martinelli Porcell recalls that when he came to power, voters cheered the shake up of 

the traditional political forms. "But he soon lost that with his everyday language . The fall of the approval to half of its management suggests new year, new government. "

A strained relationship

The worst fault of the government believe the respondents, is the relationship with the media and civil society. "Bad management is not only the President. Ministers like Jose Raul Mulino, Alma Cortez and Lucy Molinar imitate it. That leads to the perception that there is no press freedom and confrontation with the president and his ministers,” analyzes Rognoni.

"The idea that the government getting  the popular mandate was enough to take political decisions and seems, have led to difficult relations with the media and civil society", he adds Asvat.

Marquez believes that communication between government and the governed is handmade and impulsive."It lacks policies objectivity and reason to meet the demands of citizenship information. And emotional reactions and responses lead to them all in endless bickering. … "The ruling party won the most support from civil society upon whom it  turned its back worrying about adding supporters of other parties. Civil society will be its most severe judge and his less loyal supporters defecting. "

He concluded, if the government concludes, does not stop and change, "the promises of change will t be but a memory of political promises unfulfilled, and this will be a memorable government in that we will learn what not to do"