The defiance for the separation of powers would be the major violation committed against the political Constitution of Panama, on the part of President Juan Carlos Varela.
At this conclusion several lawyers, unions and the civil society in general have arrived all of who reacted to the message of President Varela, pronounced on July 1 that gave strict orders to those who make up the Court.
The first to question the words of the President was the President of the National Lawyers´ Association of Panama (CNA), José Alberto Álvarez, who criticized the speech of President Varela for dealing with issues that matter solely to the justice.
"Those statements of the President surprised me, because never had we seen neither Juan Carlos Varela treating the administration of Justice like that, nor former Presidents interfering in matters that directly related to the judiciary system", he said.
President Varela said in his report that "I have come to strengthen and respect the institutions, but they can be sure that I will use power that the Constitution and the law vest me so that things work and justice is done".
However, the CNA President said that as a result of those statements, judges and magistrates were wondering if the CNA would react.
"We said, definitively, that the (Lawyers’´) Association is going to make a statement." A project is circulating among the members of the Board of Directors in which those words and other things that the Executive organ have not carried out are being questioned", said Mr. Alvarez.
He also explained that Law 53 on Judicial Career Path, forbids the President to make such statements against the justice system.
"The Constitution is clear, and while it is certain that he speaks about the harmonic collaboration between the powers, it also establishes that there must exist separation, and that each one must play their role", he stressed.
In this sense, lawyer Neftalí Jaén pointed out that it has become clear how the words used by the President would be "the intervention of a State organ into another one".
"What I am aware of is that the President took a step that he should have not taken and that his is a pronouncement that is prohibited by the Constitution," he remarked.
Even various sectors are questioning how President Varela has plotted to control the other organs of the State, while the political "tampering" has become evident.
According to political analyst Ebrahim Asvat, "As long as the Panamanian politics is seen by those ruling as roundabout politics, we may well forget about the separation of powers".
"How does the President of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) and how does the President of the National Assembly stand while the roundabout politics managed by the Executive are exerted?”
On the same matter, lawyer Ernesto Cedeño said that "no one in the Executive should meddle in what the judges do and vice versa ".
Former Ambassador of Panama to the OAS, William "Willy" Cochez, said that this type of messages has been used previously by dictators of the region.
