At stake in this election:

• 78 seats in the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

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.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD)
  • Leader: Martín TORRIJOS Espino
  • Seats won in this election: 40
  • Seats won in last election: 34
• Party: Arnulfista Party (PA)
  • Leader: Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez
  • Seats won in this election: 17
  • Seats won in last election: 18
• Party: Solidarity Party (PS)
  • Leader: Samuel LEWIS Galindo
  • Seats won in this election: 8
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Party: Liberal Republican National Movement (MOLIRENA)
  • Leader: Jesús Lisímaco ROSAS
  • Seats won in this election: 3
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: Democratic Change (CD)
  • Leader: Ricardo MARTINELLI
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: 2
• Party: Popular Party (PP)******
  • Leader: Ruben AROSEMENA
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Party: National Liberal Party (PLN)
  • Leader: Aníbal GALINDO
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 3

****** The Popular Party was originally the Christian Democratic Party (PDC).

Last Legislative election:

• Panama held its last legislative elections on May 2, 1999.

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: Yes

·         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.)