This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 000352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/CEN/BRIGHAM 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PM POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY
SUBJECT: PANAMA ELECTION COUNTDOWN #2: 11 WEEKS TO GO 
 
 
REF: A. 03 PANAMA 2451 
     ¶B. PANAMA 0076 
     ¶C. PANAMA 0298 
 
 
¶1. Sensitive But Unclassified. Protect Accordingly. 
 
 
The Race Is On 
-------------- 
¶2. (U) Candidates for all 1,754 national and local positions 
to be contested in Panama's May 2 elections have shifted 
their efforts into high gear.  As political advertising 
increases in every medium from rolling loudspeakers to 
internet popup windows, candidates and their representatives 
are hitting the talkshow circuits and pounding the pavement 
to win votes.  All may proceed full throttle now that the 
February 7 deadline for objecting to candidacies has passed. 
Within the next two weeks, the Electoral Tribunal will 
publish a comprehensive list of candidates in the 
government's Official Gazette and on their website, 
http://www.tribunal-electoral.gob.pa.  The Electoral 
Tribunal's Spanish-language website also contains useful 
demographic statistics about Panama's voters, a comprehensive 
list of electoral regulations, and historical data from 
previous elections. 
 
 
Have some "GUIMI" with your "MAMI" 
---------------------------------- 
¶3. (U) Noting that several of Former President Guillermo 
Endara's Solidarity Party candidates served in the Moscoso 
administration, Martin Torrijos made a tongue-in-cheek 
assertion on February 9 that Moscoso has entered a silent 
pact with Endara, using the first syllables of the two's 
first names to form Guimi (GUI-llermo and MI-reya).  This 
conflating of syllables was intended to counter previous 
allegations by both Endara and Martinelli that Moscoso and 
Torrijos had entered into a "Pacto Mami" (MA-rtin and 
MI-reya) through which they agreed not to air dirty laundry 
about each other.  Torrijos noted that Endara has a comical 
way of saying things and complained that he deflects public 
attention by alleging conspiracies between presidential 
candidates and President Moscoso instead of focusing on what 
he will do if elected. 
 
 
He may be corrupt . . . 
----------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Controversy about President Moscoso has swirled 
around her putative legal right to campaign on behalf of 
specific candidates, addressed in Article 130 of Panama's 
constitution, which prohibits "direct or indirect official 
support to candidates for popularly elected positions."  The 
most recent dust-up arose when legislative candidate Carlos 
"Tito" Afu showed up at the Ministry of Public Works' 
official inauguration of several new road projects in his 
electoral circuit. Afu, previously elected as an opposition 
Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) legislator, gained 
notoriety when he waved a wad of bills in the air on 
television in January 2001, claiming that it was a payment to 
vote in favor of the controversial CEMIS project. (See Reftel 
A).  The Supreme Court dismissed the case because ostensibly 
the Legislative Assembly had not lifted the immunity of the 
Legislators implicated in the scandal.  Afu is now a 
candidate for the Arnulfista Party in the same electoral 
Circuit (7-1, Las Tablas), and President Moscoso was 
pilloried in the press this week for campaigning on his 
behalf. 
 
 
. . . But he's my candidate 
--------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Responding to front-page newspaper images of Moscoso 
dancing with Afu during the official event, the Electoral 
Magistrates requested that the Electoral Prosecutor 
investigate Moscoso.  Electoral Prosecutor Gerardo Solis 
responded that only the Legislative Assembly may investigate 
the President, but implied that he might investigate Minister 
of Public Works Eduardo Quiros, also present at the event. 
Legislative Assembly President, Arnulfista Jacobo Salas, 
stated on February 12 that the Assembly had no intention of 
investigating the President.  Moscoso lashed out at La 
Prensa, which published the initial report, claiming that 
journalists are using the power of the pen to support 
opposition PRD candidate Martin Torrijos. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Opposition candidates were outspoken in their 
distaste for Moscoso's actions.  Cambio Democratico Candidate 
Ricardo Martinelli stated that Moscoso should be doing the 
job for which Panamanians elected her -- running the 
government -- not campaigning for her friends.  PRD Vice 
Presidential candidate Ruben Arosemena said that it is 
obvious Moscoso is campaigning on behalf of her favorite 
candidates, but did not call for an investigation. 
Solidaridad Presidential Candidate Endara was the most 
colorful critic, asserting that he would never have supported 
Moscoso's presidential candidacy if he knew she were such "an 
ignoramus" when it came to electoral regulations.  Arnulfista 
candidate Aleman denied Moscoso had done anything wrong. 
(NOTE: According to Aleman supporters, Moscoso's arrogance is 
hurting his campaign, but he has not been able to break free 
of her. END NOTE) 
 
 
97,000 Support Constituent Assembly 
---------------------------------- 
¶7. (U) On February 11, Panama's Ecumenical Council submitted 
to President Moscoso a petition in favor of convoking a 
constituent assembly with 97,000 signatures.  Moscoso 
responded on February 12 that she had taken the signatories' 
interest into account, but does not consider it prudent to 
convoke a constituent assembly in the middle of an electoral 
campaign.  Therefore, she continued, it will be necessary for 
the next administration to address constitutional reform. 
Given her declarations, prospects for a fifth ballot being 
included in the May 2 elections have slipped even further 
away (Reftel B).  (NOTE: Of 1,204 Panamanians who responded 
to a December 2003 CID Gallup public opinion poll, 75% didn't 
even know what a Constituent Assembly was. END NOTE) 
 
 
Comment: Pushing the envelope within limits 
------------------------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Since her decision to openly support then 
pre-candidate Jose Miguel Aleman before the party's 
nominating convention, much to the dismay of the other two 
pre-candidates, Moscoso has pushed the ethical envelope in 
campaigning, claiming that she is exercising her rights as 
President of the Arnulfista Party rather than abusing her 
authority as President of Panama.  Clearly, Moscoso's 
position changed since she requested in March 1999 that then 
President Ernesto Perez Balladares "honor his word not to 
favor any candidate," (words that were reprinted in this 
week's newspapers).  Most observers agree that Moscoso has 
crossed an ethical line by making partisan statements and 
attending campaign events that favor Aleman, but disagree 
whether she has violated the constitution, the law, or the 
electoral code.  The fact that Electoral Prosecutor Gerardo 
Solis, a Perez Balladares appointee, didn't seize the 
opportunity to investigate Moscoso shows his penchant to act 
independently despite old PRD affiliations.  All are healthy 
indications that Panama's election controversies will be 
contained within the appropriate institutional channels. 
While the campaign rhetoric is bound to heat up in coming 
weeks, prospects for violent disputes over Panama's elections 
remain low. 
 
 
WATT