Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Panama vote runs against reforms Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 17:03:26 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD Panama vote runs against reforms \DT PANAMA CITY, Panama PANAMA CITY, Panama - Preliminary results yesterday showed Panamanians strongly rejecting constitutional reforms proposed by President Guillermo Endara's unpopular government and the Christian Democratic opposition. The special vote was widely seen as a referendum on the government. With 11 percent of polling stations reporting, 59 percent of voters had rejected the reform package, while 37 percent had supported it. The remaining votes were considered invalid by Panama's Electoral Tribunal. "A 'no' vote is a moral and political condemnation of this government, which hasn't done a thing to satisfy the country's expectations," one woman, who identified herself as an out-of-work professional, said after voting. Far more Panamanians stayed home yesterday than turned out to vote, with the tribunal reporting an abstention rate of about 63 percent. The reforms, which include outlawing the formation of a standing army, were to have amended the 1972 military constitution adopted by the late Gen. Omar Torrijos. Some 1.4 million Panamanians were registered to approve or reject the changes with a simple "yes" or "no" vote. Two opponents of the reforms were detained and later released for demonstrating on election day, which is prohibited under Panamanian law, and some voters were confused about precinct changes. But election officials reported no serious irregularities during the eight-hour vote, Panama's first national poll since U.S. troops ousted former strongman Manuel Noriega in a December 1989 invasion. Few voters seemed to be paying much attention to the hodgepodge of 58 reforms proposed mainly by Mr. Endara's ruling Arnulfista party and the opposition Christian Democrats. Instead, they saw the special ballot as a chance to send a protest vote to the 56-year-old leader, whose 3-year-old government is blamed for double-digit unemployment, high crime rates and generally failing to meet the high expectations that followed the U.S. invasion. Mr. Endara, however, insisted that Panamanians would turn out to give careful consideration to the reforms. He also denied that a rejection of the reforms would seriously weaken his government or lead to Cabinet resignations, as local news reports have predicted. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM