Panama Congress Committee Votes in Favor of Mine Referendum
- Congress convened special sessions for Wednesday and Thursday
- Bill requires support from a majority of congress’s 71 members
Demonstrators protest against a mining contract between the Government and Canada's First Quantum Minerals, in Panama City on Oct. 30.
Photographer: Roberto Cisneros/AFP/Getty Images
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Panama’s proposal to hold a referendum on the controversial contract with Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals Ltd. was approved by a legislative committee Tuesday, clearing the first hurdle as the bill is fast tracked in congress.
The bill will be sent to the plenary for general debate, where it will require a majority vote in two separate sessions for definitive approval in the 71-member legislature.