Vallarino’s fate to be decided soon

PANAMA. The mayoral candidate of the Alliance for Change, Bosco Vallarino said that he will stand vigil in front the Electoral Tribunal until he receives an answer.

Vallarino could lose the chanCe to run in the May 3 elections if the judges of the Electoral Tribunal decide that he cannot be a candidate, because he has dual nationality.

Under the Panamanian constitution, if a person acquires another nationality he automatically loses his citizenship, and is his right to vote or be elected as a government official.

The mayoral candidate has repeated on numerous occasions that he adopted American nationality in order to save his life, when he was persecuted by the Manuel Antonio Noriega´s regime.

The presidential candidate of the Alliance for Change, Ricardo Martinelli and his running partner, Juan Carlos Varela requested an audience with the judges of the Electoral Tribunal to ask that the process which will decide if Vallarino could continue in the mayoralty race, will be open and transparent.

Martinelli and Varela gave their public support to Vallarino saying that they are not planning to replace him and will continue to support him to the end.

Varela said that there is no doubt in his mind that a political persecution exists against the Panameñista candidates, which forms part of the Alliance for Change coalition.

Some political analysts are saying that President Martin Torrijos is pressuring the judges of the Electoral Tribunal to rule against Vallarino and declare his candidature null.

Meanwhile, Vallarino said that he will continue his struggle to the end.

“I am with God and everything is going to be all right, because I am Panamanian and nobody can deny it,” said Vallarino.

Following the accusations made by Vallarino and his lawyer Jose Aranda against the lack of impartiality of the judge Erasmo Pinilla, he will be replaced in this case by his deputy, Lourdes Gonzalez.

A spokesman for the Electoral Tribunal, Humberto Castillo said that the decisions in the cases of the candidatures Vallarino, Charles Garavitt and Norberto Testa will be taken over the next few days because the files are voluminous.

It is expected that the Electoral Tribunal will have an answer before May 3.