Panama, June 14, 2022.
Jose I. Blandon F.
President
Panameñista Party
E.S.D.
Dear Mr. President:
Once the 2024 election process has been opened by the Electoral Tribunal, the different conventions and the electoral law empower the parties to establish the rules of the game internally.
In the case of those who seek to be candidates by free application, once they are registered, they start the campaign for one year from August 15 and those who obtain the largest number of signatures, as the case may be, will be the ones who can aspire.
Having said the foregoing and taking into consideration the power of our National Directory, I have a concern regarding our rules of the game and not only me, but hundreds of Panamanians who have aspirations at the national level and I am going to mention it, so I would be grateful if you could answer us in the same way the following:
1. I would like to know if it is true that you publicly stated at a meeting in the village of Pocrí, Aguadulce, with the presence of the vice president of the Jorge Herrera party, that there would be primaries for all positions of popular election at the national level.
2. Can you deny or confirm if you or this Directory contemplates proposing to leave the following circuits out of primary election for the position of deputy: 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-2, 4-2, 4- 4, 4-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 7-1, 7-2, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 12-2, 13-2 and 13-3.
3. Can you deny or confirm if you or this Board of Directors contemplate leaving the following districts out of primary election for the position of mayor: Changuinola, Almirante, Chiriquí Grande, Antón, Natá, Olá, La Pintada, Aguadulce, Colón, David, Puerto Armuelles, Boquerón, Renacimiento, Dolega, Tolé, Remedios, Pesé, Chepo, San Miguelito, Panamá, Santiago, Atalaya, Mariato, Soná, Cañazas, Arraiján, Chorrera, Chame and San Carlos.
Each of the aforementioned positions are those that are discussed and will not go to the primaries, so I call for the realization of a National Directory as soon as possible, to clarify whether this is true or false, to make the rules clear and in this way , put an end to so much uncertainty.
I state that I have visited each of the areas mentioned above and in each one there are co-partisans who have the idea that the finger will predominate, the agreements with other political parties and that it will be at the total discretion of the National Directorate those designated to seek votes in in 2024, this being a totally anti-democratic process and that would only reveal the opposite of what you supposedly stated at the meeting in the Aguadulce district, specifically in the Pocrí corregimiento.
I make the exception that I will firmly oppose this being the position, because history has shown us that free competition is what gives strength to the party and our bases.
Unfortunately, political parties continue to weaken because they continue to think that the same people who sit at a table can define the future of an entire country.
Without further ado, and awaiting your timely response, I bid you farewell.
Katleen Levy Garcia
Conventional Panameñista
