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Panama's First Post-Transition Election

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Margaret E. Scranton
Margaret E. Scranton*
Affiliation:
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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Extract

The purpose of this article is to provide, for specialists as well as those who do not follow Panamanian politics, an account of the 1994 election and an assessment of its significance in terms of the consolidation of democracy in Panama. Panama held its first post-transition national election on 8 May 1994, in which not only presidential and legislative, but also local, offices were contested.

This analysis addresses both the electoral process and its product, i.e., which parties and candidates won. These two aspects are assessed separately because they (1) reflect different political dynamics and (2) have different implications for democratic consolidation. As a process, Panama's 1994 election reflected the substantial progress made toward institutionalizing an independent, nonpartisan Electoral Tribunal and building the public's confidence that their votes cast will determine who wins.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , Spring 1995 , pp. 69 - 100
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1995

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