politics

Survey reveals distrust

The lack of transparency in political parties has created a sense of distrust among the public and endangered the country's democracy.

This is the opinion of Magaly Castillo, executive director of the Alianza Ciudadana Pro Justicia. Castillo was commenting on the results of the “Barometer of the Americas,” a survey that is designed to solicit opinions on how well a country's government is functioning.

President Martín Torrijos saw his approval rating drop in the latest survey, which also revealed that many of those asked said that corruption remains a major problem. According to the survey, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the country's political parties, the Asembea Nacional and the Supreme Court are the government institutions which have the lowest levels of public confidence.

Yesterday, the Alianza Ciudadana Pro Justicia distributed a copy of the survey to the Consejo Nacional de Educación, which was formed in 2004 by Torrijos to monitor and evaluate policies and strategic projects within the Panamanian education system.

Raúl Leis, a sociologist and member of the Consejo, said that the public's perception that political parties are one of the most corrupt institutions is not new, and has been a problem for more than 10 years.

He added that, despite the mistrust many people have for political parties, half of the country's eligible voters are aligned with one of them