On the campaign trail

Above we see the frontrunner, PRD standard bearer Martín Torrijos, pressing the flesh. (Photo courtesy of his campaign.) Basically Torrijos is going around the country meeting people, saying that he wants to hear their ideas before issuing any campaign platform.

The candidate who currently occupies second place, former President Guillermo Endara, was busy meeting different groups and picking up endorsements from people who belong to parties that are supporting Torrijos or Arnulfista candidate José Miguel Alemán. Endara has also issued a call for a referendum by people with money paid into the Social Security Fund to make the hard decisions about the system's long-term future.

Alemán's general election campaign was just getting underway after a June 22 nominating convention in Penonome, and it was a rough start. He started with one of mayoral candidate and legislator Sergio Gálvez's fairs, where food is sold cheaply, in Felipillo. The news coverage was mainly about the mess that was left behind. He went on to a ceremony at the Instituto Urraca, which was presented with a new bus bought by the government's Social Investment Fund. That has him facing formal charges filed by a PRD member and anti- corruption activist Enrique Montenegro of using government property for partisan campaigning. The Arnulfista candidate also spent some time meeting with his probable MOLIRENA and Liberal Nacional ballot allies, mending fences with the folks he defeated to get the nomination, and campaigning in Colon.

The fourth candidate, Ricardo Martinelli, concentrated on making statements about the controversies of the day. In particular, he denounced the Social Security strike and called for the dismissal of CSS director Juan Jované, and blasted the Legislative Assembly's attempt to cancel the bribery investigation against many of its members, saying that the deputies who voted for the measure belong in jail.

Also in this section:
Panama News Briefs
On the campaign trail
Colombian Army hinders AUC demobilization
Legislative Assembly session ends
Mireya goes to Washington
Coyote faces death penalty