Lawmaker Accused of U.S.
Killing Eyes Top Panama
Job
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -
Panama's ruling party
has nominated a lawmaker
who was indicted for the
murder of a U.S. soldier
in the 1990s as its
candidate to head the
National Assembly in a
vote likely to upset
Washington.
The Revolutionary
Democratic Party backed
Pedro Miguel Gonzalez on
Tuesday night to lead
the country's
parliament, making him
almost certain to win
the job at a September 1
vote.
Gonzalez, 42, was
indicted in the United
States on charges that
he shot dead U.S. Army
Sgt. Zak Hernandez in
June 1992, a day before
a visit by former
President George Bush.
At a tense time
following the 1989 U.S.
invasion and capture of
Panamanian strongman
Manuel Noriega, the
Puerto Rican soldier was
killed when the Humvee
he was driving was
ambushed north of Panama
City.
Gonzalez said he was at
a demonstration miles
away to protest the Bush
visit at the time of the
shooting, and he was
acquitted at a 1997
trial in Panama.
Washington says the
trial was marred by jury
rigging, witness
intimidation and
government harassment,
and Gonzalez is still
wanted in the United
States.
But Panama has refused
to extradite him and has
warned Washington not to
try to influence the
parliamentary vote on
Sept 1.
"This is an internal
political issue," said
President Martin
Torrijos, although he
also described claims
that the United States
asked for Gonzalez's
candidacy to be
withdrawn as
speculation.
Veteran opposition
leader Guillermo Ford
said picking Gonzalez to
lead the National
Assembly would provoke
an unnecessary conflict
with the United States,
which is Panama's top
trading partner and
built its famed 50-mile
(80-km) canal.
"Why do we need to
provoke a new
confrontation, a row
with the United States?"
he said. |
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