Businesses reject rates of the Electoral Tribunal

Panamanian businessmen are not in conformity with the Electoral Tribunal (TE), as well as regulate and negotiate ad rates, approved media plan for the 2019 election campaign.

According to the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) Carlos Fernandez, an analysis of the amendments to the Electoral Code, however, advertising companies and the media saw the TE has functions that do not belong in this field.

Fernandez said he agreed with the regulations of electoral subsidy because they are public funds and limits on private donations as they create equity, however, if a candidate wants to advertise in certain medium, it is he who should have the power and freedom you decide where pautará propaganda.

"Freedom of parties and candidates to campaign based on political and media strategy should be" she stressed the businessman.

He told RPC Radio that the adoption of media plans and guidelines by the TE should be removed from the reforms to the Electoral Code.

He stressed that all Panamanians should understand the changes to this rule because it is the platform of democracy, and described as positive.

Absolute power

Some proposed by the National Commission on Electoral Reforms items have been questioned by the almost omnipotent power available to a TE, ranging from the closure of media to review and freeze bank accounts of candidates for elected office.

The reforms to the Electoral Code, Article 190 F, authorizes the TE to audit the bank accounts to handle candidates to receive private contributions, as well as those bank accounts are reported or over which the TE has evidence that have been used or they are being used to benefit or adversar a candidate's campaign.

Meanwhile, another point of the same article says that the full TE may order the seizure and eventual forfeiture of bank accounts linked directly or indirectly to a campaign against kidnapping and fits the motion for reconsideration with devolution effect.

Recently, the judges of the TE presented to the National Assembly the package of amendments to the Electoral Code, and although the magistrate Erasmo Pinilla acknowledged that it is a constitutional right of Members to modify what was presented, he said that was a job "consensus" of the National Commission Electoral Reform.

Some lawyers like Victor Almengor consulted by the TE considered beyond his power with these powers are prosecutors and judges.

 

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Especulación

• El magistrado presidente del Tribunal Electoral (TE), Erasmo Pinilla, defendió una vez más el proyecto de ley para reformar el Código Electoral, luego de que criticara el gran poder que acumularía con su implementación.

• Diversos sectores han cuestionado duramente el proyecto de reformas electorales, incluso aseguran que el documento le da "excesivo poder" al TE. No obstante, el magistrado Pinilla afirmó que han creado "mucha especulación" sobre las reformas electorales. "Lo que me gustaría es ver a más gente opinando sobre la base del texto de las reformas, más opiniones informadas. Hay mucha especulación en torno a las reformas electorales y la mayoría de esas son absolutamente injustificadas", manifestó. Incluso sobre que no son propuestas exclusivas del TE, sino de la Comisión Nacional de Reformas Electorales (CNRE), ente integrado por esa entidad y otros sectores.