PANAMA: INTERNAL RULING-PARTY DYNAMICS AS JOSTLING

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000502 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PM SUBJECT: PANAMA: INTERNAL RULING-PARTY DYNAMICS AS JOSTLING FOR 2009 ELECTIONS BEGINS -- PART I: THE FRONT RUNNERS Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION LUIS ARREAGA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) This is part one in a three-part series. SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (C) With over three years to go before the May 2009 presidential elections, the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) is already full of ferment and rumors as potential candidates joust for position. The U.S.-educated current front runners are cousins -- Vice President/Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis and Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro. Given his ambition, political skills, and deep pockets -- and despite his long list of negatives -- former President Ernesto Perez Balladares (PB) should not be underestimated in his bid for the largely ceremonial PRD presidency, which many assume he will use as a stepping stone for higher office (See Part II). Former anti-U.S. firebrands Balbina Herrera (now Housing Minister) and Hector Aleman (Minister of Government and Justice) are likely competitors for the single vice presidential slot in 2009, although most observers give Herrera the upper hand (See Part III). With the Panamanian opposition parties in complete disarray, the PRD -- Panama,s biggest and best organized party -- appears well placed to gain back-to-back presidential terms. But in Panama, as elsewhere, it ain't over till it's over. End summary. Vice President/Foreign Minister Lewis -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On March 14 VP/Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis went out of his way with reporters to deny rumors that he is about to step down to launch his 2009 presidential campaign. This time the rumors may not be true, but Lewis will have to contemplate leaving his posts to pursue Panama's presidency, which he covets. President Torrijos allegedly chose Lewis as his first VP running mate due to the financial power he could bring to the campaign contributions and his international connections in Washington and abroad. (Comment: No sonner did the rumor about Lewis's resignation hit than MOGJ Hector Aleman's name floated up as Lewis's purported replacement, improbably, given that Aleman does not speak English. End Comment.) Other observers claim that Lewis would like Panama to open relations with China, at the expense of Taiwan, with �0A;which Panama has maintained a diplomatic relationship for many years. Wanted: Wealthy Candidate With Good Connections -------------- -- ¶4. (SBU) A wealthy 48-year-old international businessman with a distinguished pedigree of Panamanian forebears, Lewis is a former Canal board member and strongly supports free markets and Canal expansion. Lewis would be an appealing presidential candidate for local businessmen who see him as an ally. Many GOP insiders claim that Lewis is President Torrijos,s choice for presidential candidate. A Lewis presidency would continue the "technocratic" trend begun by Torrijos. A Georgetown University graduate, Lewis is pro-American, pro-free market and has been a close contact and friend of the U.S. Government. The Outsider -------------- ¶5. (C) Lewis has plenty of political experience but he lacks a broad-based constituency. Also, whatever political clout he may have within the PRD he mostly owes to Torrijos. Many PRDistas see him as an outsider. In fact, according to highly placed PRD sources, Lewis has not yet joined the PRD. Lewis was most recently (until February 2003) vice president of the Solidarity Party founded by his uncle, Samuel Lewis Galindo. (Note: Lewis worked on his uncle's presidential campaign and that of his relative Alberto Vallarino in 1999. Interestingly, banker Vallarino's name pops up most often among opposition presidential possibilities for 2009. End note.) Lewis probably would win strong support from PRD heavyweights such as presidential advisor Jorge Eduardo Ritter and foreign ministry advisor Adolfo Ahumada. Also, the PRD,s youngest board member, Samuel Buitrago, has signaled his willingness to attract youth support for Lewis. Panama City Mayor Navarro -------------- ¶6. (U) Lewis's most likely opponent for the 2009 presidential nomination is Panama City's highly popular, photogenic mayor, Juan Carlos Navarro (45). Navarro was re-elected in May 2004 by a broad margin to serve a second five-year term. Harvard and Dartmouth educated, Navarro is pro-American and pro-free markets. Navarro once was considered Torrijos,s most likely rival for the PRD,s 2004 presidential nomination but after internal party conflicts, Navarro decided to pursue re-election as mayor instead. This time around, Navarro is not being discreet about his 2009 presidential ambitions and is carefully but vigorously campaigning for the nomination. Who Will Torrijos Back? -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Navarro,s first move was to get himself elected as head of the National Mayors, Association. The Association holds frequent meetings all over the country, giving Navarro wide political exposure outside Panama City. Navarro does not waste any opportunity to appear before the media and constantly appears on TV/radio talk shows and live interviews to discuss his mayoral projects. That exposure gives him a leg up over Lewis, but the all important issue is who Torrijos will back, and most observers give the edge to Lewis. Still, the PRD is Panama's only party which uses a democratic primary process to choose its leaders and nominees, so support from Torrijos, while important, might not be enough. Open Warfare with PB -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Navarro's comments on a March 15 talk show -- attributing rising energy prices to PB's mid-1990s privatizations -- sparked a stinging exchange of accusations and counter accusations with Perez Balladares, who basically said that Navarro didn't know what he was talking about, while reminding the media of a fawning letter that Navarro once wrote to former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. In return, Navarro lashed out at what he called PB's "egoism and uncontrolable arrogance, his excessive fortune and his barely concealed and unhealthy obsession to regain the presidency." Navarro also did not fail to remind his audience that PB had lost his U.S. visa -- "to the shame of all Panamanians." ¶9. (SBU) Despite some reluctance Navarro publicly defended Torrijos,s unpopular fiscal and social security reforms to gain Torrijos,s blessing for a potential 2009 presidential run. Navarro,s political strategist, Ivan Gonzalez, told Emboff that &Torrijos is not supporting us yet, but he is not against us either, so we need to be careful.8 Not only is Navarro looking over his shoulder at first cousin Samuel Lewis, he also is concerned about the potential candidacy former President Perez Balladares. There is a story that a year or so ago, Navarro walked into PB's office just to tell him that he planned to run for president. ¶10. (SBU) Navarro is an environmental pioneer in Panama. He founded the National Association for Nature Conservation (ANCON) in 1985, and served as its Executive Director. Panama,s foremost environmental advocacy group, under Navarro ANCON succeeded in preserving a large tract of Darien province as a wilderness area and wildlife santuary. Comment -------------- ¶11. (C) It is far too soon to place bets, but either Lewis or Navarro are well-placed to become the PRD,s presidential candidate. In addition to their party connections, they meet several of the &traditional8 presidential requirements -- they both are upper class, white, good looking, influential, and locally and internationally well-connected Panamanians. Former President Perez Balladares (See part II) would be a hard sell for the party -- he lost a 1998 referendum to allow him to run for a second term, he is not well-liked and his U.S. visa was revoked. EATON