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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #1431/01 2362226
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 242226Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1048
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 001431 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM KJUS PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: PRD NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEPUTIES TO ELECT 
LEADERSHIP SLATE ON AUGUST 30 
 
REF: A. (A) PANAMA 1408 
     ¶B. (B) PANAMA 1346 
     ¶C. (C) PANAMA 1309 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William A. Eaton.  Reasons:  1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (C) Governing Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) 
National Assembly Deputies will meet on August 30 to select 
in a secret ballot its slate of candidates to lead the 
chamber, PRD National Executive Committee (CEN) Member Samuel 
Buitrago explained to Ambassador on August 23.  Presently, 
Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, wanted in the U.S. for the 1992 murder 
of U.S. serviceman Zak Hernandez, leads the race to be the 
next President of the National Assembly.  "Gonzalez is the 
natural candidate to lead the chamber," National Assembly 
Deputy Miguel "Micky" Aleman said, later adding, "At this 
stage, the only way that Gonzalez will not be elected is if 
he withdraws from the race." Buitrago and Aleman made these 
comments during an August 23 coffee hosted by Ambassador for 
young rising PRD stars that also included Vice Minister of 
Housing Doris Zapata, Panama City Councilman Carlos 
Perez-Herrera, and Alternate National Assembly Deputy Miguel 
"Micky" Sierra.  In comments to the press, President Martin 
Torrijos and First VP and FM Samuel Lewis separately 
indicated that the election of the next National Assembly 
President was in the legislature's hands.  Post remains 
hopeful that President Torrijos' personal assurances that 
Gonzalez will ultimately step aside -- assurances conveyed by 
Lewis and Minister of the Presidency Ubaldino Real in Panama 
City and by Panamanian Ambassador Frederico Humbert in 
Washington -- will be fulfilled.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
PRD "Bancada" to Elect Leadership in Secret Ballot 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (C) PRD National Assembly Deputies "will meet on August 30 
to elect its nominees to be the next President, First Vice 
President, and Second Vice President of the National Assembly 
as well as the chairman of the Assembly's committees," PRD 
National Executive Committee (CEN) Member Samuel Buitrago 
told Ambassador on August 23.  Buitrago explained that the 
PRD's CEN members would preside over, but not vote in, this 
election; only National Assembly Deputies would vote in a 
secret ballot.  The PRD CEN -- which is chaired by President 
Torrijos who is also the party's Secretary General -- would 
count the votes and certify the winners.  Given the PRD 
dominance in the National Assembly -- it holds 45 of its 75 
seats -- the PRD's leadership slate would be elected formally 
on September 1 during the opening ceremonies for the new 
legislative session. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
PRD Deputies:  Gonzalez "Natural" Candidate, Has Votes 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3.  (C) PRD National Assembly Deputy Miguel "Micky" Aleman 
and commented to Ambassador that Gonzalez was the "natural" 
candidate to lead the National Assembly.  Alternate 
(suplente) National Assembly Deputy Miguel "Micky" Sierra 
noted, "Gonzalez has the votes."  Gonzalez was "objective," 
"open-minded," and "fully understood how to manage the 
National Assembly," the assembled PRD rising stars agreed. 
In response to inquiries by the assembled PRD functionaries, 
POLCOUNS layed out the U.S. position as reported reftel A. 
 
¶4.  (C) In a subsequent pull-aside with POLCOUNS, Sierra and 
Aleman said that Gonzalez's candidacy sprung as an initiative 
from the National Assembly and was not being forced upon them 
by the Executive.  In response to questions about how serious 
Gonzalez's situation with the U.S. was, POLCOUNS noted that: 
Gonzalez's problems were of a legal, not a political nature; 
these problems would not be resolved with an "political 
understanding" and that the U.S. still sought to bring 
Gonzalez to justice for the murder of a U.S. serviceman. 
Surprised that POLCOUNS was aware of President Torrijos' and 
First VP and FM Samuel Lewis' August 13 meeting with Gonzalez 
and current National Assembly President Elias Castillo, 
Aleman and Sierra acknowledged that Torrijos had given his 
imprimatur to Gonzalez's candidacy.  Nonetheless, both 
asserted that by that time, Gonzalez had already emerged as 
the PRD bloc's near-consensus candidate as the result of a 
series of meetings among deputies.  Aleman noted, "At this 
stage, the only way Gonzalez won't be elected is if he 
withdraws his candidacy." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Torrijos and Lewis:  It's in the Assembly's Hands 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶4. (U) President Torrijos told the press on August 23, "I 
reiterate there are no pressures.  At a given moment, the 
(PRD) bloc will reach an agreement and decide who is to be 
the next president of the National Assembly."  Separately 
while traveling in Brazil where he attended the Latin 
America-East Asia Cooperation Forum, First VP and FM Samuel 
Lewis commented to the press, "The Foreign Ministry has not 
tried to become involved in matters that are of a purely 
domestic nature for our country."  According to press 
reports, Lewis said he supported Gonzalez who he 
characterized as "one of the young leaders who has 
demonstrated great capacity within the PRD and national 
politics." 
 
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Comment 
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¶5.  (C) Barring a last-minute request from Torrijos to 
Gonzalez to step aside, Gonzalez is on track to win the 
support of his fellow PRD deputies to be the National 
Assembly's next president on August 30.  The PRD dominated 
Assembly would then elect Gonzalez formally on September 1. 
Post remains hopeful that President Torrijos' personal 
assurances that Gonzalez will ultimately step aside -- 
assurances conveyed by Lewis and Minister of the Presidency 
Ubaldino Real in Panama City and by Panamanian Ambassador 
Frederico Humbert in Washington -- will be fulfilled. 
EATON