Former President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, has put forward a legislative proposal that promises to shake up the administrative landscape in Panama. This project, initiated during his term, will ultimately be delivered by the administration of President José Raúl Mulino, a gesture that Martinelli described as a correct step towards state efficiency.
Criminal liability for high-ranking officials The proposal from 'Realizing Goals' (RM) does not aim to just point fingers, but to punish. It is a law for the continuity of public works, promoted by the RM party, which seeks to sanction with civil and criminal liability presidents, ministers, and comptrollers who decide to halt inherited projects for strictly political reasons.
The million-dollar cost of 'political revenge' For the former head of state, the interruption of projects is not just an administrative bump, but an attack on national heritage. The regulation would require incoming officials to follow through on public investments regardless of political affiliation.
'There has to be a law that holds presidents accountable who do not continue the works of the previous president,' stated the RM leader, reiterating that the continuity of the State must be a legal obligation and not the whim of the official in charge. Martinelli recalled that vital projects such as the Bugaba Hospital, the Metetí Hospital, and the Manuel Amador Guerrero Hospital in Colón continue to suffer the consequences of neglect.
However, he highlighted a ray of hope for the Atlantic Coast: the upcoming inauguration of the Mariano Bula Stadium. 'Someone has to pay for this; it cannot be that the people bear the cost of political hatred,' he emphasized.
Hospitals in oblivion and light in Colón The list of pending infrastructure is long and directly affects the health system. The project, tendered during his administration for $518 million, ended up costing over $2,200 million due to years of paralysis in successive governments. Martinelli denounced that the paralysis of projects generates astronomical cost overruns and deprives the population of basic services. As a flagship example, he pointed to the City of Health (formerly the Hospital City).
