José Raúl Mulino could run next week…the Supreme Court hinted yesterday

PANAMA - In Brief 26 Apr 2024 by Marco Fernandez

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On April 25, just 10 days before the elections, Supreme Court Justice Olmedo Arrocha, who is handling the case of the unconstitutionality lawsuit against the Electoral Tribunal (TE) decision that allowed José Raúl Mulino to run as a presidential candidate, issued a public statement. In this statement, Arrocha pointed out that there were still steps to be taken to resolve this lawsuit and that the final decision probably would not be implemented before the elections on May 5. Arrocha detailed the process and mentioned there were 71 arguments in favor of the constitutionality of the Electoral Tribunal's act and 17 against it. The deadline for him to issue a ruling and share it with the other justices is May 6. Arrocha addressed the responsibility for appointing Mulino as a presidential candidate. Were the supporting parties responsible, or did the Electoral Tribunal act unilaterally? Arrocha revealed that he requested the necessary official documentation from the Electoral Tribunal specifically on this point to finalize his decision. It is evident that Justice Arrocha already has a stance on the case and would not have to wait until May 6 to share his decision with the other justices. Some analysts have expressed that revealing who made the decision is key. If the Electoral Tribunal acted unilaterally (the decision was made the same day that Ricardo Martinelli's conviction was confirmed), and Arrocha's criterion of unconstitutionality is chosen, then it can be understood that the Tribunal violated the constitution. We believe that regardless of the decision, there is very little time left to disqualify Mulino before the elections, although there is a precedent of rulings...