politics

Officials to watch campaigns

The upcoming national elections have prompted the Contraloría General de

la República to issue a resolution concerning the use of state-owned property for political purposes.

Comptroller Carlos Vallarino announced that a government hotline has been established to field complaints about such activities. People can also send their complaints to an e-mail address. The telephone number is 100, while the e-mail address is denunciaCGR@cwpanama.net.

Vallarino has also authorized a series of operations to look for evidence of political hopefuls using assets such as vehicles, computers, telephones and fax machines to promote political campaigns.

Using state resources for political purposes violates the country's election law. Violators could be removed from office and have their case referred to the judiciary for possible prosecution. The sentence for this crime ranges from six months to three years in prison.