National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 2 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004) note: PS election results: Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (PA) 44%, Martin TORRIJOS (PRD) 37%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (71 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) election results: PS 4, MOLIRENA 3, PLN 3, Democratic Change 2, PRC 1, MORENA 1 note: basis while districts located in more populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based formula elections: 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: Arnulfista Party or PA [Mireya Elisa
MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Civic Renewal Party or PRC [Serguei DE LA ROSA];
Democratic Change [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary Party
or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party or PLN [Raul ARANGO
Gasteazopo]; National Renovation Movement or MORENA [Pedro VALLARINO Cox];
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Ramon MORALES];
Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben
AROSEMENA]; Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS Galindo]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chamber of Commerce; National
Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National
Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); National Council
of Private Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian Association of Business
Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers
Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP
International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Guillermo "Billy" FORD FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416 consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Tampa telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407 chancery: 2862 McGill
Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008