Party time

摘要

Panama's president, Martin Torrijos, is said to have been elected in May 2004 for two reasons: his promise to tackle vested interests and his genes. His father, General Omar Torrijos, a former dictator, is revered as the man who won back the Panama Canal from the Americans. Hitherto, this had given Mr Torrijos the clout to persuade the ruling centre-left Democratic Revolutionary Party (prd), founded by his father, to accept much-needed economic reforms. But his grip may now be faltering.