Around three million Panamanians are called to vote on May 5 to decide the future of the Central American country, in elections where more than 800 positions will be distributed at the three levels of Government, including the Presidency. The campaign has been marked by discontent with the ruling party and internal turbulence within the opposition, of which the convicted former president Ricardo Martinelli has been the protagonist. The water crisis, migration and the fight against corruption are some of the topics within the Panamanian political debate. France24 offers the most important points to understand the electoral process in Panama.
The May 5 elections in Panama represent one of the broadest democratic processes in Latin America, in a society that is emerging from a long period of environmental protests against a multimillion-dollar contract with Minería Panama and after years of an anti-corruption fight that has touched the highest echelons of power.
Since last February 3, the date on which the electoral campaigns officially began, hundreds of local, state and national candidates have taken to the Panamanian streets to seek popular support, in the midst of growing controversies, such as the controversial candidacy of the former president. Ricardo Martinelli, finally disqualified after being convicted of money laundering.
Furthermore, with less than two weeks left for the race, uncertainty remains over the candidacy of the favorite in the polls, the right-wing José Raúl Mulino, who could be disqualified due to an alleged unconstitutionality in his internal election within the coalition of the Realizing Goals and Alliance parties as Martinelli's replacement.
What is at stake in the 2024 Panamanian elections? Here are the keys to understanding the electoral panorama on the eve of the elections.
885 positions at stake and there is no second round
May 5 is the day marked on the calendar for the general elections in Panama, in which approximately three million citizens who make up the current electoral roll will elect their representatives in 885 public positions: 701 township representatives, 81 mayors, 71 national deputies, 20 deputies for the Central American Parliament, 11 councilors and a national president.
All positions are defined by simple majority and there is no second round, an issue that has been the subject of debate in the last year.
The polls open their doors at 7 am (local time) and will be available for citizens to cast their ballots until 4 pm, although any Panamanian who has joined the line before closing time will still be able to exercise their right. to vote.
Regarding voting abroad, the Electoral Tribunal of Panama reported that it has decided to “continue” with the online advance voting modality, after momentarily suspending it on April 23 due to an error in the order of appearance of the candidates in the ticket.
Around 4,458 people registered in the Registry of Voters Resident Abroad and in the Registry of Early Voting Voters for residents in Panama are authorized to use this function.
Early online voting is only valid for the presidential election.
“After a consultation with the National Council of Political Parties (CNPP) and its technical subcommittee, it has been DECIDED TO CONTINUE with online voting. All votes cast to date remain valid,” said the Electoral Court through a communicated this April 23.
Who are the presidential candidates?
In the dispute for the Presidency are the right-wing candidate Jose Raúl Mulino, favorite in the polls; former president Martín Torrijos (2004-2009), who aspires to re-election for the Popular Party (PP); Rómulo Roux, for the alliance of Democratic Change (CD) and the Panameñista Party (PPa); Ricardo Lombana, for the Movimiento Otro Camino party (MOCA), José Gabriel Carrizo and current vice president (of the PRD) and the candidates with free nomination Melitón Arrocha, Maribel Gordón and Zulay Rodríguez.
Although there are 8 candidates registered on the presidential ballot, the latest opinion polls carried out by the firm Mercado Firme and published by the newspaper La Prensa, they list only 5 of the contenders with real possibilities of holding the position: José Raúl Mulino, José Gabriel 'Gaby' Carrizo, Martín Torrijos, Rómulo Roux and Ricardo Lombana.
– The right-wing candidate Jose Raúl Mulino, former vice president during the presidential term of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), is the favorite in the polls, with 29.4% voting intention. Wrapped in tensions with the Judiciary due to a case of unconstitutionality in his internal election, Mulino, although favorite to win the election, it is not known exactly if he will end up appearing, or not, on the ballot for next May 5 .
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After the disqualification of Martinelli himself from participating in the next general elections in the first days of March, the coalition of both, Realizing Goals and Alliance, opted for his formula, José Raúl Mulino, to represent the opposition in the presidential elections, although A lawsuit filed by a Panamanian lawyer highlights that Mulino's candidacy is not valid because it was not submitted to a primary or received an official certificate from the electoral body.
With the motto “Mulino is Martinelli, Martinelli is Mulino”, The former vice president also bases his electoral platform on the conservative speech of his former running mate, proposing to liberalize the economy, favor the private sector and a controversial proposal related to the 'closure' of the Panamanian Darién, one of the busiest and most dangerous migratory crossings. of the planet.
– Martin Torrijos, former president of Panama from 2004 to 2009, is running for a second term, although now he is doing so for the Popular Party (center-right). A political scientist by profession, Torrijos had a turbulent mandate, promoting the expansion of the Panama Canal, he faced a scandal in the country due to a massive poisoning of Panama's social security patients with contaminated medications and was involved in the case for contracts with the Brazilian construction company. Odebrecht, although its case was archived.
He is Mulino's main rival, although far below in voting intention, with 11.6%, according to surveys published by La Prensa.
– Rómulo Roux and Ricardo Lombana, both former members of the Panamanian foreign service with different roles, are hot on the heels of Torrijos in popular preference, with 10.5% and 10.4% respectively. Roux is known for engaging in a power dispute with Martinelli for control of the Democratic Change party in 2018, the coalition for which he is running in these elections.
– In counterpart there is 'Gaby' Carrizo, lawyer and current vice president of Laurentino Cortizo, involved in corruption scandals for 'unclarified donations' to Cortizo's campaign and economic mismanagement related to the purchase of overpriced medical devices to face the Covid-19 pandemic. The unpopular Cortizo Government and Carrizo's own controversies keep him at the bottom of the polls, with only 4.6% preference.
Migration, lack of water and the fight against corruption: the topics of the national debate
The general elections on May 5 are framed within a context of multidimensional crisis in the highest levels of government, which leads to widespread popular discontent that translates into more than 20% abstentionism estimated by La Prensa polls.
In August, The Panama Canal, one of the most important commercial maritime routes in the world, had to delay its operations due to a water shortage that hit the region, with hundreds of ships waiting entire days to cross the stretch that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic.
The million-dollar losses represented by the delay in the canal's activities, as well as the environmental concerns due to the monstrous expenditure of water that its use requires, are issues that worry the Panamanian electorate, which pressures its candidates to confront the climate crisis in a manner cutting.
On the other handcorruption, which is a shared concern in the Latin American region, It also takes center stage in the upcoming Panamanian elections.
With a history of leaders involved in corruption controversies, with Ricardo Martinelli himself being disqualified due to a 10-year sentence for money laundering in a macro corruption scheme that began during his Presidency, the presidential team agrees that the fight against Corruption and mismanagement of the public treasury must be the basis of the future.
The Darién jungle, which last year alone saw 500,000 migrants Going through the territory in search of the 'American dream' is another essential issue within the political platform of the candidates.
Panama shares responsibility for the dangerous jungle with Colombia, a country with which it has had various diplomatic friction during the Cortizo Government, who has accused Bogotá of “not wanting” to collaborate in the management of the migration crisis that the region is experiencing.
“Panama is the only country that invests effort and money in caring for this population that arrives almost dying in Darién (…) Nobody wants to invest in these people,” explained Samira Gozaine, director of the National Migration Service in Panama (SNM), last August 4th.
Regarding this, the proposals of the right-wing Mulino are the most controversial and questionable in reference to respect for the Human Rights of displaced people in the region.
The former vice president assured on April 16 that, if he became President, he would “close” the border crossing at the Darién Gap, alluding to a boost in cooperation with the United States, whose border, according to the now candidate, ” from Texas to Panama.”
With the electoral calendar in the region overloaded, the Panamanian general elections will represent a historical milestone and may define the future course of Latin American migrations.
With EFE, Reuters and local media
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