When the start of the signature collection process approaches, on April 20 to revoke the mandate of Mayor José Luis Fábrega, he turns to the Electoral Tribunal (TE) to clarify whether tables will be installed throughout the country.
The request was made before the Regional Directorate of Electoral Organization of Central Panama of the TE, which on March 3 admitted the revocation process after a request from lawyer Roberto Ruiz Díaz dated February 22, 2022.
Fábrega says he has information to the effect that signature collection centers will be installed throughout the country. If such a thing were true, he adds, it would be illegal, because only voters from the district of Panama can participate in this process.
In the letter, which bears the signature of Fábrega’s legal representative, Carlos Carrillo, it is also requested to clarify whether any citizen can participate.
It adds that the General Secretariat of the TE certified on April 12 of this year that there is a request to revoke the mandate of Raúl Rodríguez from August 2020 and that it would not have been processed.
He also requested to certify whether Ruiz Díaz has 20 trainers and 50 activists.
Ruiz Díaz, for his part, reported that this April 18 and 19 at 1:00 pm there will be a training via zoom, open, for all interested parties.
The number of signatures to be collected for the recall is 198,920 in 120 days from this April 20. Upon obtaining the signatures, the TE must issue a resolution to call a referendum and put the revocation to a vote.
On April 12, Fábrega filed, through Carrillo, a claim of unconstitutionality against the TE’s decision to admit the process, alleging that the position of mayor cannot be subject to revocation.
