https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/230807/ricardo-martinelli-gente-vota

The former President of the Republic, and presidential candidate for the Realizing Goals (RM) party, Ricardo Martinelli made a brief analysis of the country’s political situation, in the midst of the electoral process leading to the general elections on May 5, 2024 and stated that probably, after the elections, no one will have control of the National Assembly.

According to the former president, the system is made so that, for example, in the 8-2 circuit, in the San Miguelito district (multi-member circuit where seven deputies are elected), the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) always gets two to three deputies , by the scheme of the residue.

During a recent visit to the newspaper La Estrella de Panamá, the former president also visualized what he foresees about the future of some of the current candidates for the Presidency of the Republic and the possibility that several of them decide to ally themselves with other presidential candidates.

In this sense, Martinelli, after highlighting his high levels of acceptance in various surveys that put him in first place among the candidates for the Presidency of the Republic, expressed that he believes that the three independent candidates (Zulay Rodríguez, Maribel Gordón and Melitón Arrocha) They will stay in the fight until the end.

“Gaby Carrizo (from the PRD) remains… the one from the Government remains, (Ricardo) Lombana as it is atypical to the others I think it also remains, he says that he is independent and I imagine that he will go alone, Blandón… second I think Rómulo (Roux) and Martín (Torrijos) are going to run. To tell the truth I don’t know (if they are all going to run)”.

He also stated that he does not see himself in an alliance with Maribel Gordón.

Martinelli, who chose not to delve into other probable future allies of his RM party, apart from the announced pact with the Alianza Party, added that he does see many multi-party alliances at lower levels for the positions of deputy, district representative and mayors.

Martinelli: “People vote for what’s for me”

Martinelli also downplayed the high perception of corruption in the country and stated that people in Panama vote is for “what’s up for me.”

“Here people first think, for them, for me, what’s in it for me. People vote for Ricardo Martinelli because Ricardo Martinelli solves them, because I was a president… that there was work, there were opportunities. People don’t vote for the country’s problems as such, people vote for his problems (he hits his chest several times with one of his open hands). I don’t have to eat because of him, I don’t have a job, ”he specified.

He added that this “is irrelevant when it comes time to vote. People don’t vote for that (because of the perception of corruption). Noooo”.

The former president was also consulted about his designation as corrupt by the United States and if that would take its toll on him in front of the electorate.

In this regard, he indicated that after the appointment he conducted two surveys and “instead of going down, I went up, I went up two points.” “I didn’t know that… the one who votes here is the day-to-day Panamanian.”

Later he added that “what the Americans want is a president who brings stability to Panama, that there is growth, at least they want the problems of South America not to be transferred here to Panama.”

In the same way, he said that the country is going through an economic crisis “on another level”.

“It cannot be that a liter of milk here costs two dollars, almost what the minimum wage of a person costs. People are having problems down there, lots of problems… this is a cauldron that is going to explode and when it does explode… unless we put someone there who knows and understands what to do,” he said.

He went on to say that: “I don’t want to speak ill of the others (presidential candidates), but they are all the same pod, they are all the same, they are not going to solve any problem… none. People are having problems down there, this is a cauldron that is going to explode, ”she warned.