Page 116 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

“Regrettably, there was manipulation of the elections held this past
weekend in Panama. This weakens the country’s position in the Contadora Group,
which seeks to foster the democratization of the Central American area, West German
Christian Democratic Deputy Karl Franz Lammers said in Stuttgart”.
Cable from the German news agency DPA, published in La
Prensa on May 13, 1984, page 10C.

“A confusing recount of semi-official votes has given pro-government
candidate Nicolás Ardito Barletta a minimum advantage… But a Western diplomat
has said that he believes that opposition candidate Arnulfo Arias would take the lead
if it were not for the thousands of votes challenged by Ardito Barletta’s supporters.
The diplomat also stated that ‘there are reason to believe’ the charges of fraud
levelled by Arias”.
Editorial in Le Monde, Paris, May 18, 1984, page 1.

“It appears finally confirmed that Dr. Arnulfo Arias won and that there has
been a fraud sponsored by the military. Noriega, the head of the military, is the
master of Panama”.
Radio Exterior de España, as quoted in La Prensa, May 22,
1984, page 7A.

“Panamanian voters were understandably confused. Eleven days had gone
by since they voted in the first presidential elections since 1968 but no winner had yet
been announced. Finally, the Electoral Tribunal announced last week that Nicolás
Ardito Barletta would be the next Head of Government. Barletta’s supporters,
chanting and waving flags, gathered outside the Legislative Palace. But Barletta
never showed up. Instead, the Tribunal’s Chief Justice, César Quintero, made a
surprise appearance. ‘We do not have a president yet; there is nothing official, he
said. Then, a few hours later, the Tribunal again announced Barletta as the winner.
The Panamanian at last had a president; they also had a whole host of questions.
The storm over the results gave new currency to an old Panamanian saying:
‘He who counts also elects.
This would not be the first time that the armed forces have intervened in the
affairs of Panama’s democratic institutions: each of Arias’s presidential periods
ended in a military coup. Even Quintero, the Tribunal Chief Justice, a distinguished
and stubbornly independent lawyer, admitted that there might have been
irregularities”.
Newsweek, New York, May 28, 1984, page 16.