Judge Luis Guerra told the press that RM will be the first to conduct the internal process to elect its nominee for the presidency of the republic, a position that former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) aspires to, but who is being indicted in a trial for money laundering.
Usually the TE is responsible for overseeing and funding this process, but in the PRD the organization of the primary elections is in the hands of the parliamentary group’s National Electoral Commission.
RM will be the first to conduct his presidential primary on June 4th, later on July 2nd he will select the candidates for the various positions in the popular election; while the PRD primaries will be held on June 11th.
Details on the primaries of the Cambio Democrático and Panameñista parties still need to be clarified, he added.
The cost of the RM internal elections will be $1.3 million and 234,000 people will be eligible to vote in 513 voting centers; In the PRD, funding reaches $3.1 million and 731,267 supporters will go to 1,165 authorized voting centers.
Guerra stressed that international observers will be present at these elections, including the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations, while the scrutiny panel will be installed in the TE meeting room.
The highest electoral body, he said, cooperated in organizing both primaries, which included training the nominating module, recruiting, training and integrating electoral bodies, including the National Scrutiny Board, as well as facilitating TE headquarters’ reception of the nominations.
In the case of the ruling PRD, its electoral commission submitted the budget to the TE for review and approval and, among other things, appointed observers for all pre-candidates and trained party trainers.
On May 5, 2024, Panamanians will vote for the country’s new president and vice president, 20 members of the Central American Parliament and 71 members of the National Assembly.
With the vote, they will also elect 81 mayors, 701 corregimiento representatives and 11 city councillors, all with their respective deputies, for the period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029.
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