23 days ago, the Criminal Chamber of the Court published a ruling that eliminates any possibility of Ricardo Martinelli aspiring to run for the presidency of the Republic or any popularly elected position. By not admitting the appeal, the sentence of 10 years and 4 months in prison is left without any appeal that could alter its result. After this date, what has followed is a series of unfortunate events led by a lack of clarity about the process. We do not know precisely the steps to follow or the time it takes between the Judicial Branch and the Electoral Court to conclude what is already inevitable, the disqualification of Martinelli as a candidate.

This uncertainty worsens when there are 70 days left before Panamanians go to the polls to elect our future rulers. From this column, we call on the Court and the Electoral Tribunal to publicly clarify where we are and what the next steps are with their timelines. This is essential to be able to bring citizen confidence in our institutions, which is so needed today more than ever, to be able to elect the future rulers of our country with transparency and justice. Clarity in this process is essential to strengthen our democracy and ensure that political rights are respected under the law, thus guaranteeing a legitimate and fair electoral process for all – LA PRENSA, Feb. 25.