A GROUP of National Revolutionary Party  (PRD) activists have made a move to stymie  an attempt  by  ex-vice president Felipe  “Pipo” Virzi, to use the party’s election program to stall his criminal trial.

On Tuesday,  July 26, the  Coordinator for the  “Rescue Torrijista” faction, focused on restoring the party’s credibility, presented a challenge to Virzi’s  candidacy for the fifth undersecretary of the PRD National Executive Committee (CEN)

Currently, Virzi is the subject of several lawsuits in the Public Ministry.
Members of the group said that this nomination hurts the image of the party  that is in the process of renewal.

"We  express our strong opposition to the PRD  being used for delaying tactics for the sole purpose of evading prosecution. To do so would be to  accept practices adopted by other political groups, which would further undermine the already tarnished image of the party", said a statement issued by the group.
On  July 18 , the last minute move by Virzi to run for election  forced the suspension of the hearing into  the failed Tonosí irrigation contract, in which Virzi is one of 33 accused some of whom were, like Virzi,  members of the inner circle of ex-president Ricardo Marinelli, and some of whom, like Martinelli, have fled Panama.
The period of challenges to the candidacies CEN of the PRD and other collective management positions will culminate on Friday, July 29, at 4:00 p.m.

A total of 41 nominations have presented to occupy  10 places in the CEN.