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Politics in Panama

Panama operates on a multi-party system of factions and coalitions. With 11 parties in its parliament, its factions are more numerous than a typical dichotomous system one would observe in the United States for example. The coalitions are present to ensure that the parties are stable and have reliable policies.

The two biggest coalitions of Panama's political parties are the Alliance for Change, which holds the Democratic Change, Panamenista Party, Patriotic Union, Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement and the center-left coalition known as One Country For All (OCFL), which holds the PRD, The People's Party and the Liberal Party.

Five of the 11 parties account for most of the population's votes. They are:

PRD – The Democratic Revolutionary Party

This is the party established by former leader Omar Torrijos in 1979. It claims 17 of the 71 seats in National Assembly. It maintains populist and center-left ideals with a focus on education and agriculture.

PP – Panameñista Party

PP is the longest running party in Panamanian politics. It mixes liberal progressiveness with conservative ideals by adopting a business-friendly approach. The party has historically chosen polarizing leaders like Mireya Moscoso. PP has 11 seats in the National Assembly.

CD – Democratic Change

Cambio Democratico is relatively new as it was founded in the 1990s and has enjoyed recent political power. They have a business-friendly approach and hold 37 seats in the National Assembly.

Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement

Often referred to as the "patchwork quilt," this is one of the smaller parties. Their nickname is derived free market policies, as well as their recurring need to align with bigger parties. They only claim three seats in the National Assembly

People's Party

Even smaller than the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement, the People's Party holds just one deputy seat in the National Assembly of Panama. People's Party is socially-conservative and reached their peak in the early 1990s.

Politics of Panama City

Due to Panama City's establishment as a direct result of maritime trade and then eventually the canal, much of the city's political profile blends in with the national one. The institutions of the city at times mirror those of a city state. The politics of the capital is that intertwined with that of the entire country.

The city hall building is fortunately nicely situated right next to the canal.