Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 04PANAMA886, PANAMA's MAY 2 ELECTORAL PROCESS: NUTS AND BOLTS

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #04PANAMA886.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04PANAMA886 2004-04-16 14:51 2011-05-29 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Panama
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PANAMA 000886 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND OPS CENTER 
 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM POL SPECIALIST
SUBJECT: PANAMA's MAY 2 ELECTORAL PROCESS: NUTS AND BOLTS 
 
 
SUMMARY: General Elections 
-------------------------- 
1.  (U) Panama will hold general elections on Sunday, May 2 
to elect a total of 1,756 new officials for five-year 
terms.  Voters will elect a President, two Vice Presidents, 
78 legislators (and 156 alternates), 75 mayors (and 150 
alternates), 619 local representatives, 7 councilmen, 20 
representatives to the Central American Parliament 
(PARLACEN) (and 20 alternates).  Voting will start promptly 
at 7:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.  Electoral officials have 
announced that preliminary national voting results should 
be available around 7:00 p.m. on May 2 (8:00 p.m. 
Washington time).  Up to 1,999,553 registered voters will 
vote at Panama's 2,193 voting centers throughout the 
country.  Up to 1,900 national and international observers, 
including 25-30 from the OAS, will be watching the polls on 
May 2. 
 
 
2.  (U) Panama has no mandatory voting law, no electronic 
voting, and no absentee voting.  Panama holds General 
Elections every five years on the first Sunday in May.  The 
President-elect is inaugurated and the Legislative Assembly 
holds its first session on September 1, 2004.  End Summary. 
 
 
Voters and Registration 
----------------------- 
3.  (U) Panamanian law stipulates that all adult (at least 
18 years-old) citizens of Panama may register to vote, 
provided they are within Panamanian territory and not 
detained, in jail awaiting trial or convicted.  Panama's 
electoral code does not allow absentee voting for 
Panamanians residing overseas.  Although voting is not 
mandatory in Panama, voter turnouts have been high in 
Panama's previous two general elections.  In 1994, 73.7% of 
registered Panamanians voted; in 1999, 76.2% voted.  Over 
55% of Panama's registered voters are between the ages of 
18 and 40. 
 
 
4.  (U) The Electoral Tribunal (ET) publishes the official 
and final electoral registry ("padron electoral") after 
purging duplicate records through careful review and 
computer proofreading.  Registry entries include every 
voter's: (i) complete name, (ii) personal identification 
number (cedula), (iii) voting center (based on residence), 
and (iv) digital photo.  The final electoral registry for 
Panama's May 2004 elections contains 1,999,553 registered 
voters.  The ET has provided every political party a copy 
of the final list to maintain the transparency of the 
registration process. 
 
 
Administrative divisions 
------------------------ 
5.  (U) Panama is divided in nine provinces and seven 
indigenous reservations, which in turn are divided in 43 
electoral districts.  Each district elects a mayor, and, 
depending on population, between one and seven legislators. 
There are 78 total seats at stake in Panama's May 2, 2004 
elections for its unicameral Legislative Assembly. 
Municipal Councils in each district include the mayor and 
local elected representatives. 
 
 
6.  (U) Residents of each "corregimiento" (group of 
neighborhoods) elect their local representative, known as 
the "representante de corregimiento."  Representing the 
smallest administrative division, there are a total of 619 
corregimientos in Panama, each with a separate 
representative.  Representantes de corregimiento are 
vestiges of Panama's political system under dictator Omar 
Torrijos.  Torrijos abolished the Legislative Assembly, 
forming an Assembly of Local Representatives (ALR) in its 
stead.  Since the ALR no longer exists, Panamanian 
political analysts have called for eliminating the local 
representative position. 
 
 
Political parties 
----------------- 
7.  (U) Panama has seven legally registered political 
parties:  Partido Revolucionario Democratico (PRD), Partido 
Popular (PP), Movimiento Liberal Republicano Nacionalista 
(MOLIRENA), Partido Arnulfista (PA), Partido Solidaridad 
(PS), Partido Liberal Nacional (PLN) and Cambio Democratico 
(CD).  To obtain Electoral Tribunal recognition, a party 
must register members totaling at least 4% of the number of 
votes cast for President during the most recent election. 
To survive a general election, an existing party must win 
at least 4% of the votes cast in presidential, legislative, 
or local representative balloting.  All political parties 
must have a name, internal by-laws, government platform and 
a distinctive symbol (a flag).  Panama's electoral law 
prohibits religious symbolism in political party flags. 
 
 
Official Nominations 
-------------------- 
8.  (U) Parties choose their candidates during primaries or 
a National Congress, Assembly or Convention, as stipulated 
by their internal by-laws.  If a candidate dies or resigns, 
his/her first alternate automatically occupies the vacant 
candidacy.  The opposition PRD was the only party that held 
primaries to select its candidates.  The other six parties 
elected or nominated their candidates through a national 
congress or convention. 
 
 
9.  (U) After the Electoral Tribunal closed the official 
voter registry on December 31, 2003, Panama's electoral 
process officially began with political parties officially 
notifying ET of the candidates that they had nominated 
between January 2 and February 2, 2004.  The process will 
end when the ET issues official electoral credentials to 
the winners.  During the electoral process, the ET 
publishes an official electoral calendar by which all 
political parties and independent candidates must abide. 
Panama's electoral law states that only political parties 
can nominate candidates for President or Legislator. 
Independent candidates can run for mayoral and local 
representative seats. 
 
 
Electoral calendar 
------------------ 
10.  (U) Panama's official electoral calendar consists of 
the following milestones: 
 
 
---Oct. 15: Deadline for minors turning 18 years old before 
May 2 to renew their "cedulas" at the Electoral Tribunal. 
---Oct. 30: Publication of tentative electoral registry 
("padron electoral") 
---Nov. 1-Nov 30: Term for political parties to challenge 
additions to the electoral registry 
---Nov. 1: Deadline for appointed GOP officials (cabinet- 
level and above) who will run for elected positions to 
leave their current jobs. 
---Dec 2: ET Officially convokes 2004 elections and swears- 
in National Vote-Counting Board 
---Dec 2-Feb 2: Independent candidates register. 
---Dec 2-Feb 7: Period to challenge independent 
candidacies. 
---Dec 31: Deadline for Electoral Tribunal to reconcile 
electoral registry (e.g. removal of new prison inmates, 
latest death reports, etc.) 
---January 2: Official initiation of electoral process 
---Jan 2-Feb 2: Formal written nominations of candidates 
---Feb 1: Deadline for political parties to formally inform 
the ET that they intend to participate in the electoral 
process 
---Feb 2: ET Publishes final electoral registry ("padron 
electoral") and delivers it to political parties 
---April 22: Last day to publish public opinion polls. 
---April 26: ET officially takes control of Panamanian 
National Police (PNP).  Control reverts to Ministry of 
Government & Justice once the ET officially proclaims the 
new President in a ceremony a few days after election day 
---April 30: Last day for any kind of political campaigning 
and/or advertising.  Last day for political talk shows to 
air on state-owned TV. 
---May 1-3: All bars, clubs, cantinas, and liquor stores 
are closed.  Sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited. 
---May 2: Election Day 
   -6:00 a.m. Voting centers set up 
   -7:00 a.m. Voting centers opened 
   -4:00 p.m. Voting ends and counting begins 
   -7:00 p.m. Exit poll results may be broadcast 
 
 
Observers 
--------- 
11.  (U) Close to 1,900 national and international 
observers will be visiting voting centers and counting 
boards on May 2.  The largest group will be Panama's 
Catholic Church NGO Comision de Justicia y Paz, which will 
have 1,500 observers throughout the country.  Panama's 
Ombudsman Office is coordinating the participation of close 
to 300 local observers and will host approximately 15 Latin 
American Ombudsmen who will also observe the elections. The 
Organization of American States (OAS), with USG financial 
support, will send a delegation of 25-27 VIPs.  Foreign 
diplomats resident in Panama will also cover polling, but 
their presence will be limited.  Embassy Panama will deploy 
approximately 30 observers to 12 different locations, 6 in 
metro Panama, and 6 outside the capital. 
 
 
Voting 
------ 
12.  (U) Voting day procedures are well choreographed. 
After identifying themselves with personal ID cards 
(cedulas), Panamanians who vote on May 2 will each receive 
four ballots: one for President, one for legislator, one 
for mayor, and one for local representative.  The ET is 
preparing 5,105 voting tables ("mesas de votacion"), 
located in 2,193 voting centers (usually public schools). 
Up to 500 voters will be registered at each table.  Voting 
starts promptly at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. sharp, 
after which counting at each table immediately begins. 
Accompanied by representatives designated by each political 
party, electoral officials painstakingly review ballots one 
by one, calling out votes for each elected position. 
 
 
Vote Counting 
------------- 
13.  (U) Once counting has finished (about 1-1.5 hours 
after voting ends), volunteer electoral officials at each 
"table" enter results on a tally sheet (acta), spelling out 
figures to avoid confusion.  Then, electoral officials and 
party representatives sign the tally sheet.  Tally sheets 
are essential because there are no recounts in Panama. 
Once the tally sheet is completed and signed, electoral 
representatives burn the ballots while party 
representatives observe.  The electoral representatives 
then take the tally sheet directly to the District Counting 
Board for computing after giving a copy to each party 
representative.  District Counting Boards pass their 
results to their respective Provincial Counting Boards, 
which in turn transmit their results to the National 
Counting Board ("Junta Nacional de Escrutinio"), located by 
law in Panama City.  (NOTE: Counting Board Members are 
usually CPAs and other professionals who have volunteered 
their services and received training and credentials from 
the ET. END NOTE.) 
 
 
Poll Results 
------------ 
14.  (U) Despite the laborious counting process, voting 
results will be quickly disseminated including the 
Electoral Tribunal website (www.tribunal-electoral.gob.pa). 
Electoral officials have announced that preliminary 
national voting results should be available around 7:00 
p.m. on May 2 (8:00 p.m. Washington time).  Rather than 
waiting to announce definitive results, electoral officials 
plan to broadcast results as they become available. 
 
 
Security, sobriety, and ad-ban 
------------------------------ 
15.  (U) Panama's Electoral Code dictates that the ET 
controls the National Police on Election Day.  Only on-duty 
policemen are authorized to carry weapons on Election Day. 
All political advertising and campaigning is prohibited 
after noon on April 30.  Alcohol sales and consumption must 
cease between noon on May 1 and noon on May 3.  On Election 
Day, while voters may wear hats or t-shirts with political 
symbols, distributing political propaganda is forbidden 
inside voting centers. 
 
 
MCMULLEN