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 000417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN/BRIGHAM 
 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PM POL SPECIALIST
SUBJECT: PANAMA ELECTION COUNTDOWN #3:  10 WEEKS TO GO 
 
REF: A. Panama 0298 
     ¶B. Panama 0352 
     ¶C. Panama 0076 
 
 
We're Getting there 
------------------- 
¶1.  (U) Electoral Magistrates proudly announced that the 
electoral process is moving forward and is 70 percent 
complete.  Among other things, The Electoral Tribunal must 
still select and train personnel to staff voting places and 
set aside space and staff for vote counting committees at 
the local and regional levels.  PolOffs confirmed during a 
trip to Chiriqui Province (septel) that Electoral Tribunal 
headquarters are in constant communication with regional 
directors regarding campaign developments, training, and 
the distribution of information.  Most of the regional 
electoral regional authorities have prior electoral 
experiences that will facilitate a smooth process and ease 
concerns about disorganization or fraud. 
 
 
Press Ethics Pact 
----------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Amid allegations of media favoritism toward 
certain presidential candidates, key members of all of 
Panama's print, radio and TV media signed a February 16 
electoral ethics pact, promising to base their campaign 
coverage on peaceful and democratic values.  The Electoral 
Tribunal Magistrates, the Electoral Prosecutor, members of 
National Ecumenical Council and the coordinator of the 
Ethics Pact signed by the four presidential candidates last 
January were all on hand to witness the event.  No 
candidates or political representatives attended.  The pact 
comes in the wake of allegations of favoritism towards 
opposition leader Martin Torrijos by La Prensa and MEDCOM 
TV Channels 2 and 4 and censorship of presidential 
candidate Guillermo Endara's political advertisements. (see 
paras 5-6)  The pact aims to calm the waters between the 
press, the presidential candidates and their campaign 
managers. 
 
 
The Fifth Ballot is Dead 
------------------------ 
¶3.  (SBU) Early this week, Panama's Electoral Magistrates 
publicly urged against issuing a fifth ballot on 
constitutional reforms for the May 2 elections, claiming 
that there is not enough time to prepare.  The bill to 
authorize a fifth ballot is languishing in the Legislative 
Assembly, which reconvenes on March 1.  President Moscoso 
already has announced that she does not agree with 
including a referendum on constitutional reform in the May 
elections, further reducing the likelihood that she would 
sign or implement such a bill.  (Reftel C) 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Presidential candidates who support calling a 
constituent assembly spoke up while the others kept their 
mouth shut.  Endara and Martinelli attacked the Electoral 
Tribunal's position while frontrunner Martin Torrijos kept 
quiet since he and his party do not want a fifth ballot. 
Trapped between Moscoso's position and civil society's 
fervent calls for constitutional reforms, Arnulfista 
candidate Jose Miguel Aleman temporized, offering no 
comment.  Having called for constitutional reforms in the 
early 90's and criticized Endara during the presidential 
debate for not rewriting the constitution when he had a 
chance, Aleman's weak response appeared inconsistent. 
 
 
Battling for an icon 
-------------------- 
¶5.  (U) Debate continues over the use of late President and 
Arnulfista Party namesake Arnulfo Arias' image.  Electoral 
Magistrate Erasmo Pinilla had ruled in January that former 
President Endara could not use Arias' image in his campaign 
advertisements because current President Mireya Moscoso, 
Arias' widow, is the legal sole heir of Arias.  Endara 
complained that because as an ex-President and historical 
figure Arias' image doesn't belong to anyone.  He railed 
against the Electoral Magistrates, stating to the press 
that they are "not very virile" for buckling to President 
Moscoso's will.  Shortly after Endara's TV advertisement 
was removed from the air, Aleman released one centered on 
Arnulfo Arias. 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On February 18, contradicting Pinilla, Electoral 
Prosecutor Gerardo Solis said publicly that Moscoso had not 
inherited Arias' image with his estate.  Solis continued 
that rights of image and honor cease when an individual 
dies.  He also noted that Moscoso had abandoned any 
residual rights she might have had when she remarried after 
Arias' death. Endara, fed up with the situation, has 
already announced that he is not going to use Arias' image 
anymore "because it was only the first part of my public 
strategy."  Arnulfista candidate Jose Miguel Aleman made 
angry public statements that the Endara group is planning 
an electoral fraud. (NOTE:  Prosecutor Solis is the son of 
Endara's campaign manager, Jose Menalco Solis. END NOTE) 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Aleman's statements represent the first GOP 
allegations about fraud in the May 2 elections.  Used to 
fraud allegations against themselves, GOP officials have 
insisted that they will respect election results.  Aleman's 
strong remarks could be part of a new Arnulfistas strategy 
to discredit Endara.  PolOffs learned from interlocutors 
that the Arnulfistas intend to launch frontal attacks on 
Endara instead of Torrijos so that the Arnulfistas end up 
"at least in second place." 
 
 
WATT