r vote for five-year terms; election last held 2 May 2004
(next to be held 3 May 2009); note - beginning in 2009, Panama will
have only one vice president.
election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent
of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany
30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%
note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party),
PP (Popular Party)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative Assembly)
or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms; note - in 2009, the number of seats will
change to 71)
elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, CD 2, PP 2, PLN 1, other 5
note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
formula

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges
appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of
appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic
Revolutionary Party or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party
or PLN [Anibal GALINDO]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or
MOLIRENA [Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the
Arnulfista Party) [Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Popular Party or
PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben AROSEMENA];
Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul MULINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of
Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise
or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers
(SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE;
Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of
the Republic of Panama or CTRP

International organization participation:
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES,
LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO