Panama City.- With the application for registration of candidates by free application, the general election process in Panama begins today, with a vote taking place on May 5, 2024.
Earlier, the Electoral Tribunal (TE) of Panama announced the regulatory decree and sworn in the members of 33 working commissions responsible for planning, developing and conducting the consultation.
In this way begins the renewal program of all the elected authorities: President and Vice-President of the Republic, deputies of the National Assembly, the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), mayors and other local officials.
June 1 to July 31 is a key period for the so-called independent candidates.
As announced by TE judge Eduardo Valdés, the collection of signatures for these applicants will start on August 15 and end on July 31, 2023.
In this sense, independent MP Juan Diego Vásquez, leader of the Vamos coalition, which is trying to bring together candidates who do not belong to any political party, indicated that they are in the final stages of defining the lists and that this could be the case 100 people.
Vásquez told the news channel TVN that one day after the start of the process of publishing the regulations, instead of encouraging informed participation, they discourage and do not encourage them.
Vamos’ enormous task, he claimed, is to field candidates across the country at a time when Panamanians are tired of traditional politics and old practices of lies, corruption and patronizing.
In constituencies with fewer than 10,000 voters, according to the regulations, the regional directorate of the respective electoral organization issues the reasoned decision with the recognition of the preliminary candidacy and authorizes the start of the survey of the support columns.
Regarding the areas with more than 10,000 electors, if there are no objections or refusals from some of the people presented, the pre-candidates for the post of President of the Republic will proceed with the opening of the campaign account and the collection of signatures from back.
Independent candidates have until June 31, 2023 to collect supporter signatures (must be two percent of the valid votes cast in the last election).
The political parties – about eight recognized by the TE so far and four in the process of being formed – have until December 31 of this year to constitute themselves and nominate candidates for the elections.
The calendar stipulates that the primaries will take place from June 1 to July 31, 2023; and the other internal events in July of the same year.
In September 2023, the political parties must formalize the alliances they have agreed on before the General Secretariat of the TE.
The new deadlines for the election campaign for the future head of state have been extended from 60 to 90 days and end at midnight on the Thursday before the election.
In 2019, just over 2.7 million voters, half of them women, were called upon to elect the President and Vice-President of the Republic, 71 deputies to the National Assembly and 20 to the Parlacen; as well as 81 mayors and another 700 local officials.