BRIEFS. politics

PRD candidates to leave office in October

The government ministers who plan on running for elected positions in 2009 will be able to remain in office until October.

President Martín Torrijos said yesterday that: "We will make the changes once we have defined the electoral candidates within the party."

"For now we remain focused on providing continuity to the government without letting political battles disrupt us from the work we have to do," the president added.

Sources from the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) said that the party’s slate of candidates will most likely be announced in October.

The Código Electoral stipulates that civil servants who have been working for the government within six months of an election are not be eligible to run.

At least three government ministers are expected to be candidates in the national elections next year -- Ministra de Vivienda Balbina Herrera, Ministro de Obras Pública Benjamín Colamarco and Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores Samuel Lewis Navarro.

They must leave office by early November to retain their eligibility.