Submission of the National Assembly sharpens unproductivity

The submission that the National Assembly pays to the Executive Body has decreased the productivity of this body by more than 50%, according to the analysis of experts in this matter.

This information is clear from the latest report of the Assembly, which shows that only between 1 July and 15 September only some 30 legislative initiatives have been submitted.

This would be a negative result since the number of legislative proposals accomplished in the 2014-2015 period was 219 draft laws, and in the 2015-2016 period it was 136.

This scenario actually indeed presents a drop in the production of initiatives, and the majority of those produced is addressing the administrative and judicial spheres in 50%, while the social sphere it is in 30%, and the economic sphere, 20%.

It has even affected the generation of laws, as 73% of the proposals that became law of the Republic has been promoted by the Executive.

Experts believe that this reduction in the productivity of the Assembly has a close relation with the result of the Pact of Governance that the Panameñista party had with the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), which was kept in the first two years of Government, during which no opposition to the Executive was ever made.

However, the benefits that were gained through this pact that an important group of dissident members of Democratic Change (CD) was a recipient of has promoted the neglect of functions, critics assured.

In the former legislator Guillermo "Willy" Cochez´s view, we have a corrupted system which does not work, in which institutions have been deteriorating through the many previous Governments, and this situation requires an independent Assembly, but we must wait for the next period.

"Nearly all legislators are not making any kind of opposition;" all perhaps with exception of a few have additional budgets fact that conditions them to not submitting projects, we have no legislative body because there is no opposition nor from the PRD or from the CD", he said.

Cochez considers that just as the Judicial organ is criticized for its lack of independence, we should also be criticizing the legislative.

"Now the legislative members are not being paid so that they change political party, now they are being given facilities, appointments and patronage", said the lawyer.

In this sense, lawyer and Constitutionalist Miguel Antonio Bernal said that we must pay special attention to the serious neglect of functions which is being displayed by the Assembly since it is not meeting one of its main functions; i.e., making laws, and has solely been dedicated to processing the legislative initiatives that come from the Executive.

"In fact, the laws that they promote are very few, because they do not work" There are projects submitted by members themselves, that are not even discussed duting the work commissions", he said.

This reveals a harmful consequences for the country; that is, the submission that the legislative body has towards the Executive body, ruining the separation of powers, and its raison d'etre per se, which costs Panamanians lots of money, he said. "Each period is worse; "there is no opposition, except two or three legislators, the rest is biased towards the Executive".

He said that a way to put an end to this situation that causes an ethical, social, and political damage to the country is that citizens have a greater active participation.

Carlos Lee, of the Alianza Ciudadana Pro justice, stated that productivity levels of the Assembly, whose fundamental constitutional work is to create laws, apparently does not match its budget and what it spends.

"It is a scandal that requires review, and pressure from voters who have problem in their electoral circuits, and also more diligence by its members claim," assessed the Alianza leader.

However, members who integrate the different political sectors have blamed the Executive for halting their proposals.

The legislator of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), Leandro Avila, said that draft laws of national interest were not being submitted. "There are draft laws that can revive the economy. If I have to say something to the Government, I say it, and I do it with respect, but the legislative agenda does not encourage a debate of opposition", he said.

At the same time, the independent legislator, Ana Matilde Gómez, pointed out that each project submitted by the Executive takes the front seat to the proposals made by the legislators.

Whereas the PRD legislator Zulay Rodríguez says that in the Assembly "draft laws are approved without reading them and without knowledge".

"We talk to the communities to solve problems, but here comes the Executive and 90% of the projects presented are unproductive," she said.