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North & Central America and Caribbean
Panama |
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Last reviewed: 4 August 2009 |
Country information
POLITICS
Presidential and Legislative Assembly elections took place on 3 May 2009. Ricardo Martinelli won the election with 59.97% of the vote. The other contending parties secured the following percentage of votes: Balbina Herrera (Democratic Revolutionary Party, Governing Party) 37.7%; and Guillermo Endara (Moral Vanguard Party) 2.33%. Martinelli’s Democratic Change and supporting parties won 44 seats of the 71-seat National assembly.
In October 2004 Martin Torrijos' government approved a package of constitutional reforms. Key amendments included the reduction of the legislative assembly from 78 to 71 seats, shortening of the interval between elections and the installation of the new government from four months to two months and a reduction in the number of substitute legislators elected from two to one.
In July 2006, President Torrijos announced a referendum on the proposed US$5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal. On 22 October 2006 the referendum took place. Voter turnout was 43.5% of which almost 80% voted in favour of the expansion.
The expansion project is expected to begin in June 2007 and should be completed by 2014. The proposals include two new shipping channels and locks at either end of the canal as well as raising the water level of the Gatun Lake. The expansion will double the capacity from the current 14,000 ships per year which transit the canal. This represents 5% of global shipping. The enlarged canal will also be able to accommodate the largest container ships. Thousands of jobs will be generated in the construction phase of the project.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Panama has ratified the following international human rights treaties:
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
- International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination;
- Convention on the Rights of the Child;
- Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women;
- Convention against Torture or other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Panama is also a Party to the American Convention on Human Rights and has accepted the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights based in San José.
UK Support for Human Rights
The UK contributes, through the EU, to a European Commission project for the modernisation of the Panamanian prison system, including improvements to prison welfare.
On a smaller scale, recent British Embassy assistance has included funding of a technical visit to the UK by a member of Panama’s Truth Commission, and support for a NGO-organised national seminar on disability and human rights.
Past Human Rights Abuses
Occurrences of human rights abuses were prevalent under the military regimes (1968-1989). The government of President Mireya Moscoso set up a panel in 2000 to examine cases of abuses and of crime committed during these years.
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Contacts
Address:
Embassy of Panama
40 Hertford Street
London W1J 7SH
Telephone:
(020) 7493 4646
Fax:
(020) 7493 4333
Email: panama1@btconnect.com
Office hours: