2004 Panamanian general election

General elections were held in Panama on Sunday, 2 May 2004, electing both a new President of the Republic and a new Legislative Assembly.

2004 Panamanian general election

← 1999 2 May 2004 (2004-05-02) 2009 →
Presidential election
Turnout	76.88% ( 0.71pp)
Nominee Martín Torrijos Guillermo Endara Party PRD Solidarity Popular vote 711,164 462,824 Percentage 47.44% 30.87%   Nominee José Miguel Alemán Ricardo Martinelli Party Arnulfista CD Popular vote 245,568 79,491 Percentage 16.38% 5.30%
President before election Mireya Moscoso Panameñista Elected President Martin Torrijos PRD

Results

President

For the second consecutive election, Martín Torrijos, son of former military ruler Omar Torrijos, was named the candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD); in 1999, he had lost to Mireya Moscoso. Torrijos ran on a platform of strengthening democracy and negotiating a free trade agreement with the US, and was supported by popular musician and politician Rubén Blades;^[1] Torrijos later made Blades the nation's tourism minister.^[2] Torrijos' primary rival was Guillermo Endara, who had served as president from 1990 to 1994. Endara ran as the candidate of the Solidarity Party, on a platform of reducing crime and government corruption.^[3] Endara and the other candidates also ran a series of negative ads highlighting the PRD's connections with former military ruler Manuel Noriega.^[4] Endara finished second in the race, receiving 31% of the vote to Torrijos' 47%.^[1]

Torrijos assumed office on 1 September 2004. Voters also elected his two vice-presidents, who run on party tickets in conjunction with the presidential candidates.

Candidate		Party or alliance			Votes	%
	Martín Torrijos	New Fatherland		Democratic Revolutionary Party	649,157	43.30
				People's Party	62,007	4.14
			Total		711,164	47.44
	Guillermo Endara	Solidarity Party			462,824	30.87
	José Miguel Alemán	Vision of the Country		Arnulfista Party	162,830	10.86
				Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement	60,106	4.01
				National Liberal Party	22,632	1.51
			Total		245,568	16.38
	Ricardo Martinelli	Democratic Change			79,491	5.30
Total					1,499,047	100.00
Valid votes					1,499,047	97.51
Invalid/blank votes					38,295	2.49
Total votes					1,537,342	100.00
Registered voters/turnout					1,999,553	76.88
Source: Nohlen[5]

Legislative Assembly

In addition to its president and vice presidents, Panama elected a new Legislative Assembly (78 members), 20 deputies to represent the country at the Central American Parliament, and a string of mayors and other municipal officers.

Party or alliance				Votes	%	Seats
	New Fatherland		Democratic Revolutionary Party	549,948	37.85	41
			People's Party	86,727	5.97	1
		Total		636,675	43.82	42
	Vision of the Country		Arnulfista Party	279,560	19.24	17
			Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement	125,547	8.64	4
			National Liberal Party	76,191	5.24	3
		Total		481,298	33.12	24
	Solidarity Party			227,604	15.66	9
	Democratic Change			107,511	7.40	3
Total				1,453,088	100.00	78
Valid votes				1,453,088	95.29
Invalid/blank votes				71,888	4.71
Total votes				1,524,976	100.00
Registered voters/turnout				1,999,553	76.27
Source: Nohlen[6]

The Panama City mayor race was won also by the PRD. Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro was re-elected.

References

1. "Not his father's son? Panama's new president.(Martin Torrijos)". The Economist. May 8, 2004. Archived from the original on September 28, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
2. "Nicky Hilton Weds One Hilton ..." The Washington Post. August 16, 2004. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
3. Mark Stevenson (May 2, 2004). "Guillermo Endara, former president of Panama, fights against corruption, crime". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
4. Mary Jordan (May 2, 2004). "General's Son Leads in Panama; Running as a Pro-Capitalist Nationalist, Torrijos Emerges as Favorite in Polls". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
5. Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.535.
6. Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.] : Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.528.

External links

• Official Results (Panamanian Electoral Tribunal)
• Panama elects ex-dictator's son (BBC)
• First election since Canal handover (The Guardian)