New faces and old promises

PANAMA. The results of the general elections have brought a few surprises. The former president of the National Assembly, Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, who currently has a warrant for his arrest in the United States for the murder of the American soldier, Zach Hernández did not get re-elected.

Gonzalez will no

longer have immunity have immunity and theoretically could be extradited.

However, he is protected under the Panamanian constitution which will not permit him to be sent to another country to be judged.

The list of casualties for the Revolutionary Democratic Party PRD continues. Another victim of the voters was Susana Richa de Torrijos, aunt of President Martin Torrijos, who has served in the National Assembly since 1999.

Others were left behind in the primaries of the PRD like the contraversial Franz Wever, who was defeated by aspirant legislator, Enrique “Quique” Florez, who went on to the election proper and lost incidentally lost.

The Panamanian electorate supported the Alliance for Change candidates at all levels. President elected, Ricardo Martinelli, had approximately 60 percent of all the votes, in one of the most emphatic victories ever seen in Panama.

His PRD rival, Balbina Herrera obtained around 37 of the votes. Her campaigned tarnished by rumors of corruption and the alleged $3 million contribution that the Colombian entrepreneur, David Murcia gave to her campaign.

There were also accusations that she had been receiving preferential treatment from the Maritime Authority with regards to over $500,000 in compensation given to her construction company.

Herrera was also attacked by members of her own party like Giselle de Calcagno, who said that running mate Juan Carlos Navarro, was betrayed by Balbina and for that she was going to vote for Martinelli.

Another victim of David Mucia’s allegations was the mayoralty candidate of the PRD, Roberto “Bobby” Velasquez, who at first denied that he knew the Colombian, but latera admitted having a meeting with him, which affected his credibility.

There were stories about suitcases changing hands and secret meetings band Velasquez failed to give a plausible explanation.

Last week there were rumors of a plot to assassinate Martinelli during his last rally in Amador and his security was beefed up, The popularity of the Alliance for Change presidential candidate went to the roof.

The Panameñista mayoralty candidate, Bosco Ricardo Vallarino was surrounded by controversy regarding his double nationality.

He denied that he had a double nationality, but after a local newspaper produced proof, two people from a rival party decided to take the matter to the Electoral Tribunal, which after examining all the evidence decided that Vallarino was fit to run in the mayoralty race.

The bad publicity for his opponent and his exposure during the nationality debate benefited the Panameñista candidate. Before the scandal started he was in second place in the polls, behind Bobby Velasquez. But after his media exposure his popularity increased and even those people who did not know anything about him, began to empathize with the big man.

In the final event Bosco now rules over the City of Panama, and the former mayor Juan Carlos Navarro who was a losing vice presidential candidate, will sit in the political wilderness until the next election

A large percentage of the population voted in the 2009 general elections, despite the heavy rain the expectations were very high.

The National Assembly composition has changed dramatically with more than half of the legislators belonging to the Alliance for Change, which signals a new era for Panama,