[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 111 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN PANAMA

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                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 6, 1998

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, when John Adams was inaugurated as the 
second President of the United States in 1797, President Washington 
turned to him and said ``I am fairly out and ye are fairly in.'' That 
inauguration was the most important in American history because it 
established the precedent of peaceful transitions of power, which are 
crucial to all democracies.
  Unfortunately, a contagious trend is catching on in Latin America: 
Presidents are seeking to extend their reign by working to amend the 
constitutions that limit their terms. The result is that they are 
preventing democracy from developing deep roots.
  What is happening today in Panama exemplifies the problem. Panama's 
president, Ernesto Perex Balladares, and his ruling PRD party, are 
attempting to amend the constitution to eliminate its one-term limit on 
the presidency. On Aug. 30, the people of Panama will vote on the 
adoption of this amendment.
  This referendum is a power grab by the PRD, cleverly cloaked as 
constitutional reform. It should not be forgotten that the PRD is the 
party of Manuel Noriega. Twice in 30 years the PRD has stolen democracy 
from the people through military means. The last time this happened, 28 
Americans lost their lives in order to restore the democratically 
elected President, Guillermo Endara.
  Perez Balladares has hired Democratic party operative James Carville 
in an effort to ease any pressure that might have come from the White 
House to put a stop to Balladares' power grab. He should have saved his 
money. If one looks at the way this Administration has coddled the 
world's dictators, from Hun Sen in Cambodia to the Politburo in 
Beijing, from the Taleban in Afghanistan to the North Korean regime, 
Perex Balladares has little to worry about from the people in the White 
House who are concerned about democracy.
  For the sake of the Panamanian people and the tens of thousands of 
Americans who have served in Panama, especially those who have given 
their lives in Panama, I ask my colleagues to watch this referendum 
closely.

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