Page 103 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

CHAPTER III

RESULTS

A. “… the most important thing is that these election results
be respected”, Dr. Nicolás Ardito Barletta.
45

What were the true results of these elections? The question is worth asking,
particularly if one remembers that at CADE-84, Barletta had solemnly promised to
respect election results, assuring his audience that: “In this country, there has never
been anyone whose public life has been more honest than mine; there have been many
46
as honest as me, none more”.

Election results show that Arnulfo Arias was the winner. The figures
supporting this statement are to be found in the tally sheets held by the Opposition
Alliance and were included in a letter sent by Arias Calderón, ADO second vice
presidential candidate, to the presiding justice of the Electoral Tribunal, on Saturday,
May 19, published on the following day in La Prensa’s front page. Speaking of
precinct results, this historic document states:

1. The first figure includes 3,628 precincts (93 % of the total), and
totally excludes the San Blas and the Chiriquí Indian Region
precincts, where the UNADE committed some of its worst frauds
during these elections. These results acknowledge Dr. Arias’s
victory:

ADO: 313,866 UNADE: 297,709 MARGINS: 16,157

2. The second figure includes 3,745 precincts (96 % of the total) and
includes our information on the San Blas and the Chiriquí Indian
Region precincts, despite the frauds committed by the UNADE in
these areas. These results ratify Dr. Arias’s victory:

ADO: 315,982 UNADE: 309,630 MARGINS: 6,352

45
CADE-84. Democracy’s Challenge, April 6 and 7, a publication of the Panamanian Association
of Business Executives (APEDE), page 32.
46 Ibid., page 28.