At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Panama

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez *
• Head of Government: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez
• Assembly: Panama has a unicameral National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) with 78 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by simple majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) 78 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms.***

*** The number of seats in the Legislative Assembly will be increased to 78 from 2004-2009 due to the last census.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Martin TORRIJOS Espino
  • Party: Revolutionary Democratic Party / (PRD)
• Guillermo ENDARA Galimany
  • Party: Solidarity Party / (PS)
• José Miguel ALEMÁN
  • Party: Arnulfist Party / (PA)
• Ricardo MARTINELLI
  • Party: Democratic Change / (CD)

Last Presidential election:

• Panama held its last presidential election on May 2, 1999. In this election, Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodríguez of the Arnulfist Party (PA) was elected president with 44.8% of the votes while Martín TORRIJOS of the PRD came in second with 37.8% of the valid votes.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 3,260,611 (2004)
• Registered Voters: 1,999,553 (May 2004)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,619,330 (2004)

·         Is Panama a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (26 June 1980)

·         Has Panama ratified CEDAW: Yes (29 October 1981)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 13 (following the 2004 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 60 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Panama a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Panama ratified CRPD: Yes (7 August 2007)

·         Population with a disability: 489,091 (est.)