Martinelli-Herrera no affaire d’amour

PANAMA. The Panamanian general elections are reaching a boiling point and the two presidential candidates Balbina Herrera of the Revolutionary Democratic Party PRD (Partido Revolucionario Democratico) and Ricardo Martinelli of the Democratic Change Party CD (Cambio Democratico) are giving speeches everywhere explaining their respective government plans.

However, there is no love lost between the two candidates, in a recent forum organized by the Panama National Co-operative Council, Ricardo Martinelli arrived to the event an hour after, Balbina Herrera and when she was about to finish her presentation, Martinelli was quickly rushed inside another room to avoid a face to face confrontation.

Balbina Herrera had first stopped for a few minutes to talk to the press about the importance of co-operatives in Panama and how, if she becomes president, she will support them all over the country.

She said that the co-operatives are the best banks for pensioners and low income people, because they offer better interest that the financial companies that tend to rip them off.

Herrera was a little cagey talking about the misfortunes of her rival Martinelli.

Last Wednesday the Electoral Tribunal annulled the candidatures of 13 members of his party for the Central American Parliament Parlacen (Parlamento Centroamericano).

When she was asked what she thought about it, Herrera responded that the candidates have to be elected by direct vote and the most important thing is that you cannot say one thing today, another thing tomorrow.

Suddenly, Herrera changed the subject and starting to talk about the sports delegation that is going to compete in the next games and when somebody suggested that the Electoral Tribunal favored the PRD, she said it was independent.

When somebody mentioned Murcia to her she left, not without saying that she will win the elections.

Martinelli on the other hand was more relaxed and said that he has spent two hours trying to get an appointment at the Social Security clinic

He added that he was sorry for the candidates of his party CD, but at the end of the day Parlacen is just a waste of time and that Panama should not be wasting money on that organization, when it should be better spent on education and health.

Talking about Murcia, Martinelli believes that the whole case has tarnished the image of the country.

Then he abruptly stopped the interview and walked quickly away surrounded by his followers into an empty room. Balbina was coming.