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OAS: PRESENCE OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS IN PANAMA STRENGTHENS CONFIDENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

PANAMA CITY, Panama— The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Chief of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Panama, Albert R. Ramdin, said today that the presence of international observers for next Sunday’s referendum “strengthens confidence in the country’s democratic process.”

Following the signing of an agreement between the OAS and Panama’s Electoral Tribunal, Ramdin explained to the press that the hemispheric body plays the role of impartial observer in electoral processes in the region.

“The purpose of the mission is to verify that elections are carried out in accordance with international norms that ensure the integrity of the process,” the OAS Chief of Mission said.

The agreement signed today by Ramdin and the President of the Electoral Tribunal, Magistrate Eduardo Valdés Escoffery, establishes the framework for the observers’ activities and guarantees access so they can carry out their duties on the day of the referendum. Ramdin praised the electoral authorities for their “great efforts in preparation and organization in advance of this referendum” and thanked them for their support of the OAS mission.

Next Sunday, October 22, Panamanians will go to the polls to decide on a proposal to build a third set of locks for the Panama Canal. Proponents believe the expansion of the waterway will promote greater development in the country; opponents, for their part, have raised a series of concerns related to the potential economic and environmental impacts that could be presented by such a project.

Ambassador Ramdin met this morning with representatives of a group opposed to the proposal—those who will vote “NO” on Sunday—and this afternoon with representatives of the “YES” vote, followed by a group of national observers. This morning, Ramdin greeted Panamanian President Martín Torrijos during a gathering to welcome guests of the Electoral Tribunal.

The 50 OAS observers, who come from 16 different countries, have now spread out across the country, and they will monitor the voting in seven of Panama’s nine provinces, as well as one indigenous community. Members of the OAS team have already been observing the technical preparations for the transmission of results and the vote count.

Ramdin emphasized during the press conference that this is a short-term mission and that it will mainly focus on how the referendum is carried out on Sunday.

In the days leading up to the referendum, the OAS has been meeting with different participants in the process, with the view of incorporating their concerns and comments in the final report that the Electoral Observation Mission will present to the OAS Permanent Council.

In his remarks today, the Chief of Mission urged Panamanian citizens to go to the polls on Sunday. “In a democracy, the vote is a privilege and a responsibility,” he noted.

The observation of the referendum responds to an invitation by the government of Panama and the Electoral Tribunal. Funds for the mission have been donated by the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China and the United States.

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For more information, please contact Janelle Conaway, OAS Department of Press and Communications. Telephone in Panama: (507) 6742-2145.

Reference: EOM-EC-2