Civil-society groups are on the alert in Panama following the approval last month by the opposition-controlled 71-member national assembly of a legislative act which would reconfigure the congressional credentials committee. Crucially, this committee is authorised to decide whether the president may be impeached by the national assembly as well as passing presidential nominations for supreme court (CSJ) magistrates on to the legislature. For now, the CSJ has ordered the legislative act in question to be suspended, while an appeal filed by President Juan Carlos Varela’s Partido Panameñista (PPA) is considered. However, various sectors are warning that the move – seen as early manoeuvring ahead of the 2019 general election – could negatively affect the country’s image.End of preview - This article contains approximately 698 words.
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