The double nationality of Bosco Vallarino

PANAMA. Bosco Vallarino won the mayoralty campaign, but his struggle has not finished yet. Although the Electoral Tribunal had allowed him to run, it never cleared if his candidacy was legal.

It was discovered during the election that Vallarino had assumed US citizenship, making him, according to the constitution unable to run for office.

The hesitation of the Electoral Tribunal has generated more problems for the broadcaster elected on May 3.

A denouncement requesting the nullification of Vallarino’s proclamation as mayor was admitted by Electoral Tribunal judge, Erasmo Pinilla.

Vallarino’s defense team blames former mayoralty candidate, Roberto “Bobby” Velasquez, for the complaint

“The denouncement has the same fundaments that motivated the electoral prosecutor to contest it in the first place,” said Vallarino’s lawyer, Herbert Young.

The lawyer said that a reply was presented to the Electoral Tribunal. The verdict is wanted by Saturday.

Young said that the denouncement is inopportune, inappropriate and illegal, because there are no indications in the Civil Registry that show that Vallarino’s citizens rights have been revoked. However he recognized that the subject about the broadcaster double nationality is still open.

The former Electoral Tribunal judge, Guillermo Marquez Amado said that this new problem could have been avoided. “The judges should have given a verdict before the elections. Now that he has won the election things are going to be more difficult.”

The final decision rest with the Electoral Tribunal judges, due to the fact that the Civil Registry is a dependency of the Electoral Tribunal.