THE  DEMOCRATIC Change Party members headed to 1,079 voting stations scattered across the country on Sunday, Oct.15, to  determine whether it would live up to its name and introduce change in its ruling structure, pr cling to its Martinelista roots

The party, founded and funded by  Ricardo Martinelli to forward his political ambitions, is deeply divided, with the group calling for “renewal” dubbed “traitors by the hardcore .on Sunday  its 342,042 registered members were voting to chose  the boards that govern the party while their founder was absent from the fray  as he began his fifth month behind bars in a Miami detention center while awaiting extradition to face  criminal charges that could, in theory, see him in jail  for 20 years if found guilty, with other charges waiting in the wings.

In their electoral campaign on social networks, the Martinelli loyalists have called for the dismissal of the “traitors”. They continue to  cling to the leader-inspired “political persecution” mantra to explain the scores of corruption charges faced by Martinelli and many members of his  former cabinet, along with fellow-travelling “entrepreneurs” who had access to the government coffers in the Martinelli (era (2009 -20140))

Martinelli himself, before his Twitter account was silenced by his detention, called for a declaration loyalty from CD deputies  who did not want to be branded a Trojan horse or traitors

Martinelli, and those who support him,  have referred 16 deputies to the CD Court of Honor disciplinary process, along with  National Assembly president, Yanibel Abrego, and the General Secretary of the CD  party, Rómulo Roux On October 12, Martinelli spokesman Luis Eduardo Camacho revealed that Roux is one of the traitors “for him to question  the CD leader is to not want unity. Is disloyalty to him synonymous with unity? “

Real change
In his campaign, Roux has focused on talking about the unity of the party to create a real change or a renewal of the political collective. “Unity to win in 2019,”

[caption id="attachment_66491" align="alignright" width="263"] Alma Cortés[/caption]

Others who referred to the renewal group as “betrayers” were former Security Minister and party presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino who has been embroiled in corruption charges and former  Cabinet Minister Alma Cortés, out on bail pending trial for illegal enrichment.”