The members of the Executive who are part of the single dialogue table, which takes place at the Cristo Sembrador Center in Penonomé, province of Coclé, branded most of the proposals presented by the social groups in terms of corruption and transparency.
The repeal of Law 292 of April 1, 2022, which allows the re-election of the authorities of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi); the elimination of the electoral subsidy to political parties, and the call for an original constituent, are some of the points that the social leaders put on the table.
For his part, the Vice Minister of the Presidency, Carlos García, assured that a government team is carrying out an economic and financial study of all the positions that exist in the State, according to the hierarchical levels and their responsibilities; this, in terms of the 50% reduction in salaries, representation expenses, travel expenses and allowances received by senior officials.
The government team, which at this stage of the agenda is led by García, in addition to considering the proposals “unfeasible”, commented that they are “far from the precepts of the Constitution”.
He explained that an original constituent cannot be called, because any modification proposal must be subject to the procedure already established in the Constitution, to which García read article 314 that speaks of the process to establish a new political charter through a parallel constituent. “We live in a state of law in which our Magna Carta is the cornerstone, so any proposal for modification must be subject to the procedure already established in the Constitution.”
They also ruled out the proposal to create the truth commission on corruption and the social audit council, since the Comptroller General of the Republic is the entity, according to the Constitution, to supervise and regulate through prior and subsequent control, the acts of management of public funds.
The Vice Minister of the Presidency also pointed out that any crime of corruption that implies a property damage will be investigated by the Public Ministry.
Once the point of corruption and transparency on the agenda is over, the so-called follow-up tables will be entered, which would be the second phase of the dialogue, which will add other actors to the table and in which the Catholic Church would no longer be the facilitator.
