The head of the Panameñista wing of the National Assembly, Gabriel 'Panky' Soto, yesterday acknowledged that there is a crisis in the official faction due to a fight between the bands who are fighting over the chairmanship of the Committee on Budgets.
Previously, and in an internal heated meeting, the panameñistas had elected Legislator Miguel Salas as the new President of the coveted Commission.
And although the difference in votes was not revealed, Salas himself mentioned that he had come out "overwhelmingly" victor after the "democratic decision of his party faction".
However, Legislator Carlos Santana (aiming for a second term to chair of the Committee on Budgets), revealed that the Sala´s decision was made in a murky way, taking advantage of a moment in which a majority had not been achieved thus obtaining an irregular vote.
"This is not over, the fight continues. We will follow the matter through to the end. We will denounce this to the media and the plenary, because the agreement was not honored", said Santana, referring to a "gentlemen's agreement" between pro-Government legislators, who failed to keep the deal.
Such a deal was made, in the previous period, after Santana also lost the chairmanship of this Committee, this time competing against his fellow party colleague, Jorge Alberto Rosas.
After that, 17 pro-Government Legislators would have signed a document, a "base agreement", in which they undertook to grant Santana the chairmanship of this Committee this year.
General Assembly in plenary
In the midst of this panorama of threats, unfulfilled commitments and internal dispute in the official party faction, in the plenary of the Assembly yesterday this issue was rushed towards discussion as a binding matter; and it was so.
During the incidents, Legislator of PRD, Zulay Rodríguez, deplored the "treason" by the members of Government against their party colleague Carlos Santana.
Zulay also referred to the disrespect for the "consensus of the official wing" who had promised a Santana a Committee, and which now, due to "hidden interests", purport to give it to Miguel Salas.
In a defiant tone, the Legislator challenged Santana to make the reasons public as to why his supporters do not want to see him at the head of this Committee of great influence in the Assembly.
"Go ahead, Santana, tell the truth. “Say why they have taken you out twice of the Committee on Budgets, and now want to place a young boy over a man of tradition and experience in his own party, when you deserved that Committee", Zulay Rodríguez said.
"Go ahead, Santanta, talk. “I know that both you community - Santiago - and your party are waiting to know the whole truth", challenged Zulay.
Santana speaks out
After four legislators had intervened with other issues themes to try to calm down the waters in the plenary, Carlos Santana asked for the word to reply Zulay´s challenge.
"I won't answer now. But next week", he began saying.
And he continued arguing that the majority of the members of his party "are men of truth", reason that he would not go ahead with a pronouncement until there was a final position on the so-called victory of Salas.
"There is nothing official. Only someone who proclaimed himself. I am sure that my colleagues, who are loyal, are not going to allow this to happen", he concluded.
Finally, the boss of the Panameñista wing, Gabriel Soto, convened an improvised press conference, taking the chance of a break in the plenary, and pledged on Monday to give a final announcement to try and reconcile the warring parties.
He acknowledged that it was a "very difficult situation", and until now it was "almost impossible to reconcile positions". However he did not rule out proposing a third candidate to preside over the Committee on Budgets.