2004 Panamanian general election

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| <- 1999 | 2 May 2004 (2004-05-02) | 2009 ->

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Presidential election

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Nominee  | Martín Torrijos | Guillermo Endara |
Party  | PRD | Solidarity
Popular vote  | 711,164 | 462,824
Percentage  | 47.44% | 30.87%

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|  |
Nominee  | José Miguel Alemán | Ricardo Martinelli |
Party  | Arnulfista | CD
Popular vote  | 245,568  | 79,491
Percentage  | 16.38%  | 5.30%

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| President before election

Mireya Moscoso
Panameñista

| Elected President

Martin Torrijos
Democratic Revolutionary

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Politics of Panama

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President: Marcos Castillero Barahona

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

## Results[edit]

### President[edit]

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| %

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| 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[edit]

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[edit]

1. ^ a b "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[edit]

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

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