LADBAC@UNMB.BITNET (Dr. Barbara A. Kohl) (08/28/89)
MANDATE OF MEDIATION TEAM NOT EXTENDED
Foreign ministers of Organization of American States
member-nations met on the evening of Aug. 23 in Washington
for a special session to discuss the situation in Panama,
and to hear a report by members of its mission to that
country.
Since its creation in May, the OAS mission has made
five visits to Panama. The mission was comprised of
Secretary General Joao Baena Soares, and the foreign
ministers of Ecuador, Guatemala and Trinidad-Tobago. Team
members said that they had failed to achieve the goal of an
agreement on a transfer of power on Sept. 1 leading to
eventual elections, but that further talks between the
Panamanian government and opposition parties might be
useful. Mission chief, Ecuadoran Minister Diego Cordovez,
presented the report.
As part of US pressure tactics to dislodge Gen. Manuel
Antonio Noriega, the US Southern Command has held a series
of increasingly conspicuous military exercises in Panama.
US officials said the purpose of the exercises was to
reassert US rights under the 1977 Canal treaties, and to
discourage harassment of US military personnel.
"Without making a pronouncement on the legality or
illegality" of the military operations, the team said they
were "inopportune," and suggested that the exercises were
partly responsible for their failure to mediate an agrement.
The report said, "It is essential to avoid the possibility
of an incident that, in the present circumstances in Panama,
might thwart all efforts to achieve a peaceful solution.
The mission is of the opinion that at this time it is
essential to avoid actions that could exacerbate the
situation."
The OAS mission also expressed concern about recent
"violations of human and civil and political rights" alleged
by opposition leadres to have been perpetrated by the
Panamanian government. Next, the team called on the US and
Panama to "normalize their bilateral relations," saying such
a move "would give impetus to the search for a negotiated
solution" in Panama.
After more than seven hours of debate behind closed
doors, the foreign ministers approved a resolution calling
on the Panamanian parties in conflict to reach an agreement
permitting a transfer of power to take place Sept. 1.
Meeting chairperson, Colombian Minister Julio Londono,
presented the resolution early Thursday morning.
The resolution said that upon request by all parties to
the national dialogue--government, military and opposition
parties--, the OAS mission would return to Panama to help
mediate an agreement. Next, the OAS ministers called on the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission to attempt a visit to
Panama as soon as possible with the objective of completing
an updated investigation of the human rights situation.
At a press conference on Wednesday in Washington,
Panamanian opposition leader Ricardo Arias Calderon said
that "despite the great efforts of the OAS mission, the
negotiation was not successful because of Noriega's
unwillingness to step down."
Earlier this week, Noriega said the opposition
negotiators had made a "historic error" by turning down the
government's offer for power sharing in the provisional
government to be set up Sept. 1. Opposition leaders say
there is no need for power-sharing arrangements or new
elections because they won the elections on May 7. (Basic
data from Notimex, 08/23/89; New York Times, Prensa Latina,
08/24/89)
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