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2019 Panamanian general election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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General elections were held in Panama on 5 May 2019.[3] Due to constitutional term limits, incumbent President Juan Carlos Varela was ineligible for a second consecutive term.[4] Businessman and politician Laurentino Cortizo of the centre-left Democratic Revolutionary Party won the election with around 33% of the vote, narrowly defeating Rómulo Roux of the centre-right Democratic Change, who won 31% of the vote. The PRD also won a majority in the National Assembly.[5] The ruling Panameñista Party of President Juan Carlos Varela suffered its worst result in history.[6] Its candidate, Panama City mayor José Isabel Blandón, received only 11% of the vote and came in fourth behind independent candidate Ricardo Lombana.[5] The party also lost half its seats in the National Assembly.[6]
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Background
Incumbent President Juan Carlos Varela was elected in 2014 with 39% of the vote.[7] Polls showed him to be the second most unpopular president in Latin America by 2018, with a 57% disapproval rating.[8]
Corruption became a major issue during the campaign,[9] being the first election held after the Panama Papers leak, which exposed the extent of the country's involvement in tax evasion.[10] Investigations into mass bribery by the Brazilian company Odebrecht also took place during the preceding presidential term,[11] with the presidential administrations of Martín Torrijos, Ricardo Martinelli, and Juan Carlos Varela all being subject to scrutiny.[12] Martinelli was also investigated for wiretapping political opponents,[13] which resulted in his being disqualified in his campaigns for Assembly deputy and Panama City mayor.[14]
Electoral system
The President was elected through plurality vote in one round.
Of the 71 members of the National Assembly, 26 were elected in single-member constituencies and 45 by proportional representation in multi-member constituencies. Each district with more than 40,000 inhabitants formed a constituency. Constituencies elected one MP for every 30,000 residents and an additional representative for every fraction over 10,000.[15]
In single-member constituencies, MPs were elected using the first-past-the-post system. In multi-member constituencies MPs were elected using party list proportional representation according to a double quotient; the first allocation of seats used a simple quotient, further seats were allotted using the quotient divided by two, with any remaining seats are awarded to the parties with the greatest remainder.[15]
Presidential candidates
Summarize
Perspective
The following seven candidates contested the election:[16]
- Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo – Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)
- José Isabel Blandón - Panameñista Party
- Rómulo Roux - Cambio Democrático (CD)
- Saúl Méndez - Broad Front for Democracy (FAD)
- Ana Matilde Gómez - Independent
- Marco Ameglio - Independent
- Ricardo Lombana - Independent
Candidate selection
Democratic Revolutionary Party
Nito Cortizo won the PRD's presidential primary, held on 16 September 2023. He defeated Assembly member Zulay Rodríguez and former President Ernesto Pérez Balladares.[17] The Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement allied itself with the PRD.[18][19] He selected José Gabriel Carrizo as his running mate.[20]
Panameñista Party
Panama City mayor José Blandón won the Panameñista primary, beating former Housing Minister Mario Etchelecu.[21] The People's Party allied itself with the Panameñista Party,[22] maintaining the alliance that had also been seen in the 2014 elections.[23] He selected Nilda Quijano as his running mate.[24]
Democratic Change
Rómulo Roux, a former Canal Minister and Foreign Minister, won the CD presidential primary, defeating José Raúl Mulino,[25] winning 68% to Mulino's 29%.[26] He chose reporter Luis Casis as his running mate.[27]
Alliance Party
The Alliance Party was a new political party led by Assembly member José Muñoz. José Domingo Arias, the losing CD presidential candidate in 2014, won its primary with over 90% of the vote.[28] The party later chose to ally itself with the CD candidacy of Rómulo Roux,[29] with Arias declining his presidential candidacy.[30]
Opinion polls
Results
President
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National Assembly
Elected members
Mayoral elections
Panama City
San Miguelito
Arraiján
Colón
La Chorrera
David
Santiago
Notes
- Herrera was elected but his term was served by his alternate.[32]
References
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