News
Wednesday 30th October 2024.
October 29, 2024
After several setbacks, heated disputes, criticism, negotiations and clashes between some deputies, the plenary session of the National Assembly will discuss in a second debate the draft general state budget for 2025, which amounts to $30.111 billion.
The proposal was presented to the legislative plenary by the Secretary General of the Budget Commission, Manuel Cohen , a member of the Cambio Democrático party.
The document was approved in the first debate last Monday amid heated exchanges of words between deputies. The independents spoke of an illegal process. “The shameful little room of the Assembly was activated,” denounced Betserai Richards , of the Vamos coalition.
Ten of the 15 deputies voted in favour of taking the bill to a second debate, thus avoiding the possibility of hearing the presentation by the heads of more than 80 institutions on how they are going to spend the money.
Several deputies spoke out on the issue during the legislative session on Tuesday. Miguel Campos , from the Vamos bench and representative of circuit 9-1 (Santiago, Veraguas), recalled that his bench is against the suspension of the budget hearings.
He stressed that 86 institutions have yet to explain how they will distribute the funds in 2025. “This must be addressed within the State,” he added.
His colleague Luis Duke , from 8-2 (San Miguelito), described what happened in the Budget Committee last Monday night as “shameless.”
Neftali Zamora , from 8-5 (Mayor Diaz, Caimitillo, Chilibre, Ernesto Cordoba and Las Cumbres), spoke of “illegalities.” He mentioned that article 269 of the Constitution had been violated.
After the period of incidents, a delegation from the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) was granted courtesy of the room.
However, before this part, the president of the Assembly, Dana Castañeda, arrived at the plenary session. The session had been led by the second vice president Jamis Acosta , however, on several occasions he lost control of the debate, as he could not restore order in the room. The session began with tensions running high as a result of the controversial Monday night.
Castañeda said that not agreeing does not mean that one should be disrespectful. He asked his colleagues to comply with the internal regulations of the Legislature. “We are not here to see who has the most money. We are going to debate in order,” he argued.
Walter Cerrud , a professor at Unachi, and Pedro González , vice-rector of Postgraduate Studies at the center, then took the podium . The former complained that the budget project does not comply with article 5 of Law 26 of 1994 (Unachi’s organic law), which states that the university cannot be assigned a budget lower than what it received the previous year.
In the 2025 budget project, Unachi is allocated $72 million.
Minutes later, Deputy Manuel Cohen, from the Democratic Change (CD) party, secretary of the Budget Commission, informed the plenary that Bill 143, which dictates the general State budget for 2025, was approved on Monday night in the first debate.
However, the Assembly began discussing Bill 84, which declares Panama’s Trans-Isthmus colonial route a historical heritage site.
At 2:54 pm a motion was presented to suspend what was being discussed and move Bill 143, which dictates the budget, to point seven. It was approved with 40 votes. While 15 deputies voted against it.
Carlos Tito Afú , a deputy for Cambio Democrático, also proposed that a permanent session be declared until the discussion of the budget was exhausted. This motion was also given the green light.
The debate on the bill that dictates the budget for next year began at 3:44 p.m.
Following the inauguration of the Roberto F. Chiari highway, the Las Américas-Arraiján bridge section , also known as the “eight-lane” highway, drivers in West Panama are reporting that vehicle traffic has become more complicated than usual, specifically due to the formation of a bottleneck, which goes from six lanes to just two at the height of Howard.
Since yesterday afternoon, October 28, after the inauguration of this highway by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), drivers have experienced a traffic jam that affects residents of communities such as 7 de Septiembre, Loma Cova, Burunga and Arraiján Cabecera, among other sectors.
Today, Tuesday, October 29, in the morning, drivers traveling through Arraiján on the new highway have also experienced a slower flow of vehicles. Such is the case of Kevin Kento, a social media user who left his house at 5:30 am, and, after 9:00 am, was still in the Howard sector, in Arraiján.
Another victim of trafficking was Carlos González, who left Arraiján at 7:15 am towards the Panama-La Chorrera highway in the direction of the Centenario Bridge.
He says that as he drove through the traffic jam, he found the road divided into two directions: on the left, a large sign said “Paradise,” while on the right, several signs indicated Howard.
González decided to take the Paraíso exit, thinking it would take him straight to the Centenario Bridge.
“The road was clear, which gave me a momentary peace of mind and made me think that I had made the right decision. But this feeling of relief ended when a billboard appeared with the directions “Howard and Cocolí”, that is, on the exact opposite road to the one I wanted to take.
At 7:30 a.m., Gonzalez was stuck in the traffic jam of the eight lanes that were not moving in the direction of Panama City. The cause of this traffic jam at the old Howard entrance was that the road was reduced to two lanes, making it almost impossible for thousands of drivers to pass through. Drivers are faced with the well-known dam effect.
After 10:40 a.m., González finally managed to cross the Las Américas Bridge, said the La Chorrera resident.
For urban planning experts, this situation shows a lack of planning in the execution of these works. In addition, they consider that there should be clearer signage on the road, since this is one of the faults that drivers are complaining about.
It also highlights the need for a fourth bridge over the Panama Canal , which would serve as another relief route for the 64,000 drivers who use the Bridge of the Americas, especially with the expansion of the eight lanes.
The First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases sentenced former deputy Mario Miller to 13 years in prison for the crime of wilful embezzlement to the detriment of the National Assembly (AN).
In a ruling issued on Tuesday afternoon, the court also imposed a 13-year prison sentence on Erendira González Fuentes, while Edith Isolina Navarro was sentenced to eight years in prison as a primary accomplice.
In this case, Maricela Araúz Acosta, Isabel María Araúz, María del Carmen Araúz and Ismael Ovidio Frías were also sentenced to seven years in prison. In addition, as an additional penalty, they were suspended from public office once the main sentence had been served.
The ruling, signed by Judge Agueda Rentería, details that it was proven that professional services contracts were drawn up that did not comply with the requirements of the AN Human Resources Department. Through these contracts, checks were issued for high sums, which were deposited in the account of a company with no ties to the entity.
Judge Rentería also found that documents were falsified, as checks were issued in the name of illiterate people and even deceased people. During the trial held last April, the anti-corruption prosecutor requested the conviction of Miller and other defendants, after demonstrating the fraudulent use of the AN’s payrolls to defraud the State.
Following the judicial process and prosecution, Miller was removed from the Democratic Change Party (CD), where he was a member, to face trial. During the process, anti-corruption prosecutor María Araúz stated that AN officials, together with Miller, diverted funds intended for social interest programs for their own benefit.
The First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases issued an acquittal verdict in favor of 14 people accused of the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement by renting helicopters through the National Aid Program (PAN).
By means of edict No. 1401 , the court ordered the archiving of the proceedings against former ministers Guillermo Ferrufino (Social Development), Javier Díaz (Health), Oscar Osorio (Agricultural Development), Emilio Kieswetter (Agricultural Development) and Franklin Vergara (Health). The former director of the PAN, Giacomo Tamburrelli, and the former minister of the National Land Administration Authority, Franklin Oduber, were also acquitted.
Other people acquitted in this case are Jorge Portolatino, Lina Maria Tejera Jurado, Ramon Vicente Cuervo, Serafin Sanchez, Yessica Perez, Arturo Icaza and Eliecer Lara.
Judge Águeda Rentería ordered the lifting of the precautionary measures and the cancellation of the bail presented by the accused. In the case of Ferrufino, who is convicted of crimes of corruption and unjustified enrichment, he will have to remain in prison. The same situation applies to Tamburelli, convicted of the crime of embezzlement to the detriment of the PAN.
This weekend will be extended due to the national holidays . It will run from Saturday, November 2 to Tuesday, November 5.
Saturday is All Souls’ Day. Official ceremonies will be held at the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua and then at the Amador cemetery.
November 3 is a national holiday because it celebrates the 121st anniversary of the separation of Panama from Colombia. That Sunday, civic events begin, with the traditional early morning reveilles at the Presidency of the Republic.
In the morning, the parades begin on two routes: Route 1 (presidential route) and Route 2 (Nicanor de Obarrio Avenue, known as 50th Street).
Route 1 will begin at Simón Bolívar Park, in the Old Town, and will end at Calle 26, on Avenida Balboa. While Route 2 will begin in front of the Credicorp Bank Tower (smart building) and will end at Avenida Aquilino De La Guardia.
On Sunday they will start at 9:00 am, while on Monday, November 4 they will start at 8:00 am
Monday the 4th is National Symbols Day. Meanwhile, Tuesday the 5th of November is a national day, because Panama celebrates the consolidation of its independence from Colombia in the Colon territory.
The official events will be moved to the province of Colón. The parades will start at 9:00 am.