The rector of the University of Panama, Dr. Eduardo Flores Castro, raised the need to reflect on the effects of Bill 83, which establishes the principle of immediate non-re-election to the position of rector at official universities in Panama. This arises in response to the call from the Commission on Education, Culture, and Sports of the National Assembly of Deputies to carefully analyze this legislative initiative.
The chairwoman of the commission, Deputy Lilia Batista, announced the creation of a subcommittee to extend the consultation period. Deputies have suggested inviting representatives from the administration's attorney's office to enrich the debate on the bill.
In his arguments, Dr. Flores Castro emphasized that he does not seek re-election as rector. He referred to renowned Spanish-speaking universities that allow immediate re-election, such as UNAM, the University of Chile, the University of Buenos Aires, among others.
During the first legislative debate presented by Deputy Ernesto Cedeño, the rector and his team participated, expressing that the proposal has not been sufficiently thought out regarding its repercussions. Furthermore, he suggested that if re-election is negative for rectors, it should be negative for all positions, including deputies and mayors.
For his part, Deputy Ernesto Cedeño explained that the immediate non-re-election of rectors aims to prevent authoritarian practices by extending the regulation to other university positions. The president of APUDEP, José Álvaro, defended university autonomy, pointing out that this issue should be discussed by the university community and not by legislators, to avoid undermining institutional autonomy.
