Panama Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Panama

Type: centralized republic

Capital: Panama

Political subdivisions: 9 provinces, 1 intendancy

Legal system based on civil law system; constitution adopted in 1972, but major reforms adopted in April 1983; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court legal education at University of Panama; accepts compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November

Branches: under April 1983 reforms, a President, two Vice Presidents, and a 67-member Legislative Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms; nine Supreme Court Justices and nine alternates serve 10-year terms, two justices and their alternates are replaced every other December by presidential nomination and legislative confirmation

Government leaders. Fric Arturo DELVALLE Henriquez, President (since September 1985); Roderick ESQUIVEL, First Vice President (since October 1985); Second Vice President, unfilled

Suffrage 18: universal and compulsory over age 18

Elections: seven electoral slates made up of 14 registered political parties were on the

May 1984 ballot with the president and other winners decided by simple pluralities; mayoral and municipal elections were held in June 1984

Political parties and leaders: (registered for 1984 presidential and legislative elections) National Democratic Union (UNADE; government coalition)—Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, official government party), Romulo Escobar Bethancourt, Carlos Ozores Typaldos; Republican Party (PR), Eric Arturo Devalle Henriquez; Liberal Party (PL), Roderick Lorenzo Esquivel; Labor Party (PALA), Ramon Sieiro Mungas and Carlos Eleta Almaran; Panamenista Party (PP), Luis Suarez; Popular Broad Front Party (FRAMPO), Alvaro Arosemena; Democratic Opposition Alliance (ADO, opposition)—Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo Arias Calderon; Authentic Panamenista Party (PPA), Arnulfo Arias Madrid; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOL1REN A), Alfredo Ramirez, Sr.; other opposition parties—Popular Nationalist Party (PNP), Olimpo A. Saez Maruci; Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan Zuniga; People’s Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist), Ruben Dario Sousa Batista; Socialist Workers Party (PST), Jose Cambra: Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), leader unknown

Voting strength: in the May 1984 elections the government coalition received 300,748 votes, narrowly defeating the opposition alliance, which received 299,035 votes; UNADE won 45 seats in the 67-member Legislative Assembly, and ADO won the remaining 22 seats

Communists. People’s Party (PdP), progovernment mainline Communist party, did not obtain the 3 percent of the total vote in 1984 elections to retain its legal status

Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized Workers (CON ATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE)

Member of: FAO, G-77,1ADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, 1DB— Inter-American Development Bank, 1FC,

Panama

ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International W heat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Panama on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Panama 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Panama 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.