General elections were held in Panama on 5 May 2019.Panama IFES Due to constitutional term limits, incumbent President Juan Carlos Varela was ineligible for a second consecutive term. 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. The ruling Panameñista Party of President Juan Carlos Varela suffered its worst result in history. Its candidate, Panama City mayor José Isabel Blandón, received only 11% of the vote and came in fourth behind independent candidate Ricardo Lombana. The party also lost half its seats in the National Assembly.

Background Incumbent President Juan Carlos Varela was elected in 2014 with 39% of the vote. Polls showed him to be the second most unpopular president in Latin America by 2018, with a 57% disapproval rating.

Corruption became a major issue during the campaign, being the first election held after the Panama Papers leak, which exposed the extent of the country's involvement in tax evasion. Investigations into mass bribery by the Brazilian company Odebrecht also took place during the preceding presidential term, with the presidential administrations of Martín Torrijos, Ricardo Martinelli, and Juan Carlos Varela all being subject to scrutiny. Martinelli was also investigated for wiretapping political opponents, which resulted in his being disqualified in his campaigns for Assembly deputy and Panama City mayor.

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.Electoral system IPU

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.

Presidential candidates The following seven candidates contested the election:

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. The Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement allied itself with the PRD. He selected José Gabriel Carrizo as his running mate.

Panameñista Party Panama City mayor José Blandón won the Panameñista primary, beating former Housing Minister Mario Etchelecu. The People's Party allied itself with the Panameñista Party, maintaining the alliance that had also been seen in the 2014 elections. He selected Nilda Quijano as his running mate.

Democratic Change Rómulo Roux, a former Canal Minister and Foreign Minister, won the CD presidential primary, defeating José Raúl Mulino, winning 68% to Mulino's 29%. He chose reporter Luis Casis as his running mate.

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. The party later chose to ally itself with the CD candidacy of Rómulo Roux, with Arias declining his presidential candidacy.

Opinion polls PollsterDateCortizo (PRD)Roux (CD)Lombana (IND)Gallup Panama17–21 March 201938%21%4%GAD329–30 April 201936%26%20%Doxa Panamá23–28 April 201930%32%15%Stratmark22–28 April 201944%27%10%

Results President

National Assembly

Elected members ConstituencyMemberPartyCircuit 1-1Benicio Robinson Democratic Revolutionary PartyAbel Beker Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 2-1Néstor Guardia Democratic Revolutionary PartyDaniel Ramos Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 2-2Melchor Herrera Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 2-3Luis Ernesto Carles Panameñista PartyCircuit 2-4Jorge Herrera Panameñista PartyCircuit 3-1Jairo Salazar Democratic Revolutionary PartyMariano López Democratic Revolutionary PartyLeopoldo Benedetti Democratic ChangePedro Torres Panameñista PartyCircuit 3-2Nelson Jackson Democratic ChangeCircuit 4-1Fernando Arce Democratic Revolutionary PartyMiguel Fanovich Nationalist Republican Liberal MovementHugo Méndez Panameñista PartyCircuit 4-2Everardo Concepción Panameñista PartyCircuit 4-3Juan Esquivel Democratic Revolutionary PartyRony Araúz Democratic ChangeCircuit 4-4Gonzalo González Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 4-5Manolo Ruiz Nationalist Republican Liberal MovementCircuit 4-6Ana Giselle Rosas Democratic ChangeCircuit 5-1Arnulfo Díaz Democratic ChangeCircuit 5-2Jaime Vargas Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 6-1Alejandro Castillero Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 6-2Julio Mendoza Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 6-3Marcos Castillero Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 7-1Eric Broce Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 7-2Olivares Frías Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 8-1Kayra Harding Democratic Revolutionary PartyMarylín Vallarino Democratic ChangeYesenia Rodríguez Panameñista PartyCircuit 8-2Yanibel Ábrego Democratic ChangeCircuit 8-3José Herrera Democratic ChangeCircuit 8-4Roberto Ábrego Democratic Revolutionary PartyRoberto Ayala Democratic Revolutionary PartyLilia Batista Democratic ChangeCircuit 8-5Hernán Delgado Democratic ChangeCircuit 8-6Raúl Pineda Democratic Revolutionary PartyLeandro Ávila Democratic Revolutionary PartyZulay Rodríguez Democratic Revolutionary PartyPancho Alemán Nationalist Republican Liberal MovementDalia Bernal Democratic ChangeItzi Atencio Panameñista PartyJuan Diego Vásquez IndependentCircuit 8-7Crispiano Adames Democratic Revolutionary PartyHéctor Brands Democratic Revolutionary PartyCorina Cano Nationalist Republican Liberal MovementSergio "Chello" Gálvez Democratic ChangeGabriel Silva IndependentCircuit 8-8Javier Sucre Democratic Revolutionary PartyVictor Castillo Democratic Revolutionary PartyMayín Correa Democratic ChangeEdison Broce IndependentRaúl Fernández IndependentCircuit 8-9Alina González Democratic Revolutionary PartyTito Rodríguez Nationalist Republican Liberal MovementGenésis Arjona Democratic ChangeCircuit 8-10Edwin Zúñiga Democratic ChangeAlaín Cedeño Democratic ChangeCenobia Vargas Democratic Revolutionary PartyElías Vigil Panameñista PartyCircuit 9-1Luis Rafael Cruz Democratic Revolutionary PartyFátima Agrazal Democratic ChangeCircuit 9-2Ariel Alba Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 9-3Eugenio Bernal Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 9-4Ricardo Torres Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 10-1Petita Ayarza Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 10-2Arquesio Arias Democratic Revolutionary PartyCircuit 12-1Leopoldo Archibold Democratic ChangeCircuit 12-2Adan Bejerano IndependentCircuit 12-3Ricardo Santo Democratic Revolutionary PartySource: Tribunal Electoral

Mayoral elections

Panama City

San Miguelito

Arraiján

Colón

La Chorrera

David

Santiago

Notes

References