Notwithstanding any of this, on June 7 the Martinelli administration called the National Assembly into a special session for the purpose of considering incentives for the promotion of commercial aviation, then in a brief discourse at the special session the following afternoon, announced a draft of a proposed Law 177 that does nine different things:
- Allows foreign airlines to qualify as Panamanian if they make a minimum investment that hires Panamanians and uses Panama as an air transportation hub, and provides a number of other incentives for airline activities in Panama and licensing procedures for airlines and pilots;
- Amends the Labor Code to allow the firing of strikers and hiring of scabs and mandates the immediate sending of police to protect management and strikebreakers --- but not the lives of strikers against company goons --- in the event of a strike; and to allow the president to choose organized labor's "representatives" before the International Labor Organization;
- Provides prison terms for altering any structure or vehicle for the purpose of drug trafficking;
- Provides criminal penalties for altering or falsifying Panamanian passports or drivers' licenses;
- Provides criminal penalties for human trafficking;
- Requires those accused of crimes to submit to DNA tests;
- Provides that police who commit crimes while on duty may not be jailed pending trial or face any internal discipline within the police force unless and until a criminal investigation and trial has runs its course and they have been convicted, and in case of a conviction they will not be held in prison but at a police station under conditions that the commander of that police station specifies;
- Requires the prompt moving or removal of utility cables and poles when this is required by developers; and
- Exempts those activities, works and government projects that are in the "social interest" from having to submit to the process of conducting environmental impact studies and getting them approved.
* an article from la prensa.com today translated using google translator. it is not perfect but you get the idea *
PEACEFUL MARCH TO THE PRESIDENCY ARRIVES
Thousands demand a repeal Act 9
The rejection of the controversial Act 30 has brought together trade unionists, businessmen, students, teachers,
environmentalists and various professionals.
 |
| repudiation. Thousands of people from more than 60 unions marched through the capital to demand the immediate repeal of the new legislation. LA PRENSA / Carlos Lemos |
irodriguez@prensa.com
A few days after completing their first year in office, Bush faced his first Ricardo Martinelli massive march to reject management, convened for more than 60 trade unions and social organizations to demand the repeal of the controversial Act 30 (known as 9 1).
Under a persistent rain, union members, environmentalists, doctors, teachers, civil servants, students and civil society groups marched to demand the repeal of the law that reformed three codes and six national laws.
The law, the most controversial approved by the current administration, provides, among other things, the possibility of eliminating the environmental assessment officer, and limits the right to strike.
With placards with messages such as "Panama is not for sale" and shouting slogans against the government and the deputies, the peaceful demonstrators marched through the path that led from the park Porras to Independence Square, near the Presidential Palace.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the Palace of the Herons, the protesters delivered a letter to the president in demanding the repeal of the law. It also called for another rally on 29 June.
Guilds and National Council of Organized Workers discussed the possibility of calling a general strike.
In David, Chiriqui, and other communities in the interior of the country also held protest demonstrations.
On the morning of yesterday, the president, Ricardo Martinelli, described the controversial law as "necessary" and said he does not repeal.
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