title: Elections in Panama
text: # Elections in Panama
  
  Panama elects on national level a head of state, i.e. the president, and a legislature. The president and the vice-president are elected on one ballot for a five-year term by the people. The National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) has 71 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat and multi-seat constituencies.
  
  ## Political culture
  
  Panama has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
  
  ## Schedule
  
  ### Election
  
  | Position | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Type | Presidential (May) National Congress (May) Gubernatorial (May) | None | None | None | None | Presidential (May) National Congress (May) Gubernatorial (May) |
  | President and vice president | President and vice president | None | None | None | None | President and vice president |
  | National Congress | All seats | None | None | None | None | All seats |
  | Provinces, cities and municipalities | All positions | None | None | None | None | All positions |
  
  ### Inauguration
  
  | Position | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Type | Presidential (July) National Congress (July) Gubernatorial (July) | None | None | None | None | Presidential (July) National Congress (July) Gubernatorial (July) |
  | President and vice president | 1 July | None | None | None | None | 1 July |
  | National Congress | 1 July | None | None | None | None | 1 July |
  | Provinces, cities and municipalities | 1 July | None | None | None | None | 1 July |
  
  ## Latest elections
  
  ### President
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Party or alliance | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Laurentino Cortizo | Joining Forces | | Democratic Revolutionary Party | 609,638 | 31.03 |
  | | Laurentino Cortizo | Joining Forces | | Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement | 45,664 | 2.32 |
  | | Laurentino Cortizo | Joining Forces | Total | Total | 655,302 | 33.35 |
  | | Rómulo Roux | Change to Wake Up | | Democratic Change | 564,297 | 28.72 |
  | | Rómulo Roux | Change to Wake Up | | Alliance Party | 44,706 | 2.28 |
  | | Rómulo Roux | Change to Wake Up | Total | Total | 609,003 | 31.00 |
  | | Ricardo Lombana | Independent | Independent | Independent | 368,962 | 18.78 |
  | | José Blandón | Panama We Can | | Panameñista Party | 174,113 | 8.86 |
  | | José Blandón | Panama We Can | | People's Party | 38,818 | 1.98 |
  | | José Blandón | Panama We Can | Total | Total | 212,931 | 10.84 |
  | | Ana Matilde Gómez | Independent | Independent | Independent | 93,631 | 4.77 |
  | | Saúl Méndez | Broad Front for Democracy | Broad Front for Democracy | Broad Front for Democracy | 13,540 | 0.69 |
  | | Marco Ameglio | Independent | Independent | Independent | 11,408 | 0.58 |
  | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 1,964,777 | 100.00 |
  | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,964,777 | 97.58 |
  | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 48,656 | 2.42 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,013,433 | 100.00 |
  | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 2,757,823 | 73.01 |
  | Source: Election Tribunal |||||||
  
  ### National Assembly
  
  | | Democratic Revolutionary Party | 542,105 | 29.99 | 35 | +9 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic Change | 405,798 | 22.45 | 18 | –6 |
  | | Panameñista Party | 312,635 | 17.30 | 8 | –8 |
  | | Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement | 92,340 | 5.11 | 5 | +3 |
  | | People's Party | 65,028 | 3.60 | 0 | –1 |
  | | Alliance Party | 43,670 | 2.42 | 0 | –1 |
  | | Broad Front for Democracy | 22,711 | 1.26 | 0 | 0 |
  | | Independents | 323,153 | 17.88 | 5 | +4 |
  | Total | Total | 1,807,440 | 100.00 | 71 | 0 |
  | Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,807,440 | 92.68 | | |
  | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 142,663 | 7.32 | | |
  | Total votes | Total votes | 1,950,103 | 100.00 | | |
  | Source: Tribunal Electoral ||||||
  