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Panama Counting Board Swears in
The National Examination Board,
responsible of the referendum on
the expansion of the Panama
Canal Zone, will be sworn in
Friday, as part of the process
that will conclude with a
consultation October 22.
According to the Electoral Court
(TE) president Eduardo Valdes,
the Board will be led by Ernesto
Boyd, and also have two
substitutes and three members.
The referendum process took
shape Monday, when the
Republic's President Martin
Torrijos signed a bill, an
initiative by the Panama Canal
Authority (PCA), to build three
locks valued at 5.2 billion over
a period of seven years starting
in 2007.
After the signing, the bill was
published in the "Gaceta Oficial"
to start the TE labors and
conclude with a popular
consultation.
This fourth national referendum
from 1977 to this date will cost
almost $8.6 million and be
attended by 2,134,707 citizens
eligible to vote.
The referendum will end a
process begun April 24, when the
PCA directive board delivered
the proposal.
After inking the bill, the
president defended the
modernization works of the Canal
Zone, stressing that it will be
"effective, competitive and
profitable."
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