CD names its vice-president

The move surprised political analysts who thought that he would choose Jose Raul Mulino president of the UP as his second in command.

During the national convention of UP, Mulino called the Presidential candidate of the Revolutionary Democratic Party PRD (Partido Revolucionario Democratico), Balbina Herrera a communist.

“I want to thank the PRD for giving us the worst candidate in the history of the country,” said Mulino.

He also said to President Martin Torrijos that it was time for him to take his hands off the current presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Ricardo Martinelli justified the appointment of Benedetti as his VP candidate by saying that he is a man true to his word and that they share similar ideologies.

Molirena Party, another of the big player for the opposition, also expressed their support for Martinelli.

The new alliances leaves the presidential candidate of the Panameñista Party, Juan Carlos Varela, in a poor position. So far he has only the support of Vanguardia Moral de la Patria and its president Guillermo Endara.

They met yesterday at the Figali Convention Center to discuss their association.

The future of Varela without the back up of the rest of the opposition parties appears to be uncertain, but his supporters believe that he has a good chance of becoming President of Panama.

Martinelli’s campaign appears to be gathering momentum, especially as he now has the support of UP and Molirena.

On the other side of the spectrum, the PRD presidential candidate, Balbina Herrera was also having meetings with her supporters at Casa del Marisco, but the subject of the get together was not certain.

Many observers believes that scandals that has surrounded President Torrijos over the last few months such as the disappearance of the Juegos de Antaño statues from the Parque Omar and the resignation of former Minister of Government and Justice, Daniel Delgado Diamante over a murder, has cost her points in the political surveys.

The elections will take place on May 3, meanwhile the road to the Presidency of Republic promise to be a rocky one.