politics

New minister named

President Martin Torrijos yesterday named Carmen Gisela Vergara as minister of Comercio e Industrias (Mici), replacing Alejandro Ferrer.

Vergara assumes the post at a time when the ministry's biggest challenge is the pending free trade agreement with the United States. The treaty, which appeared to be headed for ratification last year, has been declared dead in the water by American officials familiar with the situation.

The status of the treaty does not appear to have changed significantly in the past few weeks, even as American President George Bush sent a similar agreement with Colombia to Congress for debate.

Bush said in a speech March 12 that approving free trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama were a priority for the government. But apparently he does not feel confident that the agreements with Panama or South Korea will get a warm reception.

Depite these long odds, there is confidence among Panama’s government officials that the free trade agreement can be brought back from the dead.

"The only thing missing is the political dynamics in the United States that will allow the treaty to be ratified," said Chancellor Samuel Lewis Navarro.

Vergara, who was deputy minister of foreign trade with Mici, also has several other trade agreements to deal with as well, including treaties with CARICOM, which represents 15 Caribbean countries, and the European Economic Union.