‘Et tu Brute’ in corridors of power

Journalists donning political robes may find that their colleagues will be unsheathing verbal daggers

DAVID YOUNG OUR MAN IN PANAMA
ourman@laestrella.com.pa

As the vanquished depart and the untested and untried take over their new roles commentators and critics will be standing by awaiting opportunities to crown or assassinate the latest batch of movers and shakers in the political musical chairs charade. Setting in is going to be harder for those who were once on the other side of the fence, tricky questions that, as journalists, they used to ask, like: “Have you stopped beating your wife” will now be coming the other way from erstwhile colleagues. As the daggers strike, will we hear: ”Et tu Brute?”

THE WAITING ROOM. One of the targets could be city mayor in waiting Bosco Vallarino, who hopes to plant his seat in the mayoralty chair on July 1, having overtaken his PRD rival Bobby Velazquez in the dying days of the election campaign. Bobby’s candidature was tainted by allegations of having received $3 million from alleged money launderer and ponzi scam artist David Murcia.

THE VOTING PUBLIC, was apparently unswayed by Bosco’s sworn allegiance to another country, making him, according to the constitution, unable to take office. He has defended his adoption of US citizenship on the grounds that as a terrorist and traitor in the eyes of the Noriega dictatorship, he was afraid for his life.

One wonders how he feels about the newly designated Chief of Police Gustavo Perez who served as number 2 in Noriega’s feared anti-terrorist team.

President elect Ricardo Martinelli , who backed Bosco’s candidacy, chose Perez for the job. Oh what a tangled web.

Meanwhile there are already members of the Alliance for Change, wondering whether there will be rule by dictate (as in running a business) or by consultation.

There is still uncertainty about Bosco’s future. Constitutional challenges have been made to the electoral magistrates, and the matter could end up before the Supreme Court.

WUNDERKIND And while all this is going on, the soon to be ex-mayor Juan Carlos Navarro, will be pondering his future. The man who would be president, and was a prime mover in the political infighting within the PRD, likely still has ambitions for the top job.

But, according to commentators in a story published in Estrella the wunderkind of 10 years ago, protege of El Toro, graduate of Dartmouth and Harvard and listed by Time magazine as one of the top 100 political comers of the world, didn’t do such a great job as city mayor, in terms of the environment, developing parks, handling the garbage problem and managing the unrestricted growth of a concrete jungle.

That’s unlikely to hold him back. No politician has been frustrated by a learning curve; even if it takes a decade.

SHINING KNIGHT. We have commented before on Panama’s need for that mythical knight on a white charger. Where are those people with a cause? Those who believe not only in government of the people, and by the people, but FOR the people. Personal ambition is not enough.

OOPS. After my congratulatory remarks about the monumental achievement of the on site “cement factory” during the construction of the Cinta Costera where they produced scores of thousands of cement blocks to anchor the new coastline, and laid down miles of roads and pathways there came a message from Cemex saying they had nothing to do with the project. The honor belonged to Cemento Panama. Oops. Some of that fine cement dust must have got in my eyes when I viewed the tower, complete with logo, being hauled away. Apologies to Cemex and and congratulations to Cemento.

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