opinion

Jované and Bernal
by Raúl Leis R.

They're not permitting Juan Jované to be a candidate and Miguel Antonio Bernal, who has been one, is now seeing his chance endangered. The first legitimately aspired to the Presidency of the Republic; and the second, to this country's principal mayorship. Both are fully capable professionals, experienced and, the main thing, committed to the country's best interests. Both of their platforms are profound and tied to proposals for wholesome development, real democracy and active citizenship.

It's a grave error to impede and cut off the legitimate aspirations of these citizens and, moreover, their supporters from broad sections of society.

I know and respect both men. I have known Juan Jované beginning with the clamor of Colon's struggles in the 70s, and have since had rich experiences of work and friendship with him. Miguel Antonio and I shared the first baby steps of Dialogo Social magazine in the 70s and later worked together at different points in the course of national events.

Both candidacies are subjected to hard tests, which demonstrate the power of the special interests and the political class, which don't comprehend the imperative necessity to democratize the democracy in order to face the nation's great challenges.

Day by day it's evident that our electoral menu is limited, with little representation of the different visions and conceptions of reality that are present among us. The rainbow of proposals linked to the social and civic movements that address the subjects of the environment, ethnicity, gender, youth and culture in a framework of building a free, self-determined and just country --- the things so many men and women throughout our history have cried out for and fought for --- is being disappeared.

Jované justly aspired to be an independent candidate, and Bernal, after suffering many restrictions on his registration as such, has gained the support of two parties from different alliances, which permits him to express his independence by way of this balance of forces. But now he confronts the impugnment by a group from the Liberal Party that opposes his nomination by the Patriotic Union.

Miguel Antonio, in an interview that appeared in La Estrella, said that to allow the impugnment "would contribute more to the Panamanian people's disappointment, in which they see how we independents get trampled by the political interests of specific persons who are at odds with the citizenry. I also have confidence in a community that has given me a hand when I needed it and I am sure that those who have supported this campaign are going to come out and defend this candidacy, which is of the people and not of any party."

These actions in Bernal's case, according to statements of principle by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, openly violate Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article XX of the Inter-American Declaration of the Rights of Man, and Articles 23 and 25 of the Inter-American Convention, which relate to the right to participate in the direction of public affairs. In Jované's case, it's our own constitution that's violated.

To impede or create difficulties for the possibility of citizens to seek elected public offices distorts and damages the rule of law, and the rule of law is the road to stronger democracy for all.