Panama, November 2 (EFE).- The Parliament of Panama on Thursday gave up on repealing a controversial mining law contract, which generated an internal crisis with the largest street protests in decades and losses of several million dollars, so that the Supreme Court is the court that determines its future by ruling on its alleged unconstitutionality.

With 63 votes for, 1 against and 1 abstention, the unicameral National Assembly (AN, Parliament), with 71 seats and a large official majority, approved in the second of three obligatory discussions, the deletion of article 5 of the draft Legislative 1110, which repealed contract law.

These are the same deputies who introduced this article in the legislative proposal presented by the Executive to establish a moratorium on metal mining, and they had to approve it this Thursday during the third and final debate, but they decided to lower the project to a second discussion and eliminate the repeal.

“With the vote of the second debate on Bill 1110, I declare closed this third extraordinary legislature of the constitutional period 2019-2024,” said the President of Parliament, Jaime Vargas, so the final approval will have to be given from next January or during a new extraordinary session. sessions convened by Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo.

The change of deputies occurred at the same time as environmental sectors and legal experts warned that the repeal, through Parliament, of the law contract between the State and Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals, left the state virtually defenseless against foreseeable claims. of the company given the leonine terms of the agreement.

Environmental groups who have been fighting for years against this concession assure that it is the Supreme Court of Justice which should decide on the future of the mining contract through its judgment on the various unconstitutionality appeals already filed.

Activists say the new contract law suffers from the same flaws that led to the previous one being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017, more than 8 years after the Panamanian Environmental Defense Center (CIAM) submitted an appeal to this effect.

With the new judgment of unconstitutionality, the Panamanian State would have “the highest instrument of protection” and would obtain “a more advantageous position” in the face of the demands that the mining company would have to present, Lilian Guevara, of CIAM, said declared to EFE.

The immediate repeal of the mining contract is being demanded by construction unions, teachers’ unions and other left-wing groups, which have promoted road blocks across the country, leaving at least two people dead in crushes, according to data from the police and local municipality. press.

“We call to maintain the unity of the people in the streets and call a national meeting of all the leaders of the social and popular movement for November 4,” declared the unions united within the Alianza Pueblo Unidos por la Vida.

Another of the main groups behind the protests, Sal de las Redes, asked the population, after learning of Parliament’s decision, to continue “putting pressure on the Supreme Court of Justice to act quickly on the judgment of unconstitutionality”.

“Let’s be vigilant! Let’s be vigilant!”, they asked, apparently as a call to continue in the streets.