Panama President-Elect
Presents Key
Ministers
Jaguar Swims Panama
Canal, Then Takes Own Picture
International Women's Meeting in Guatemala
Drug Plane Crashes In
Honduras
Panama President-Elect
Presents Key
Ministers
Panama - Panama's
President-elect Ricardo Martinelli Sunday
announced 14 cabinet ministers and warned
them of not committing corruption.
Martinelli, who will take office on July 1,
warned the ministers at a press conference
that his administration will accept errors
but not corruption.
He named Professor Alma Cortez from the
University of Panama as labor minister and
Giselle de Calcagno, a dissident from the
ruling Revolutionary Democratic Party, as
minister for small and medium enterprises.
As for foreign minister and first
vice-president, Martinelli named 45-year-old
Juan Carlos Varela, owner of the Varela
Bros, wine business.
Varela, leader of the Panama Party, is one
of Martinelli's closest allies and a fierce
critic of traditional politics. He is also
the architect of the 100-dollar payment
plan.
Martinelli said that he would name the
education minister next week, a tough post
which has seen four different officials
during the outgoing administration of Martin
Torrijos.
"We are inheriting a world economic crisis
and we have less than 60 days to study the
budget, discover the truth about our economy
and confront the changes we are waiting
for," said Martinelli.
"In my government you can put your foot in
your mouth, but not your hand in the till,"
he said. "I know what we are facing, and I
know it will not be easy," he said.
Martinelli's government plans to give 100
U.S. dollars to all over-70s who do not have
health insurance, building a metro, boosting
housing in working class areas, school
grants and a lower cost of living.
|
|
|
|
|
