1964 Panamanian general election

The Panama held a general election on 10 May 1964, electing both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly.

7 candidates competed in the 1964 presidential elections, although only three were serious contenders. Marco Aurelio Robles, who had served as minister of the presidency in Roberto F. Chiari's cabinet, was the candidate of the National Opposition Union, comprising the PLN and 7 smaller parties. After lengthy backstage maneuvers, Robles was endorsed by the outgoing president. Juan de Arco Galindo, a former member of the National Assembly and public works minister and brother-in-law of former President Ernesto de la Guardia, was the candidate of the National Opposition Union coalition, comprising 6 parties headed by the CPN. Arnulfo Arias was supported by the PP, already the largest single party in the country. [1]

"PLN retained the presidency in 1964 when Robles won 134,627 votes compared with 123,186 for Arias, now candidate of the Panamanian Party. Arias maintained that the elections had been rigged and demanded a recount, but the National Elections Board upheld the result". [2]

Presidential election results

Candidate	Party/Alliance	Votes	%
Marco Aurelio Robles	National Opposition Union (UNO)	129,933	41.33%
	National Liberal Party (PLN)	48,574	15.31%
	Republican Party (PR)	32,445	10.23%
	National Liberation Movement (MLN)	12,920	04.07%
	Labor and Agrarian Party (PALA)	11,483	03.62%
	Democratic Action Party (PAD)	10,975	03.46%
	Progressive National Party (PPN)	9,800	03.09%
	Nationalist Party (PN)	2,803	00.88%
	Revolutionary Isthmian Party (PIR)	933	00.29%
Arnulfo Arias	Panameñista Party (PP)	119,201	37.82%
Juan de Arco Galindo	National Opposition Alliance (ANO)	47,753	14.62%
	National Patriotic Coalition (CPN)	23,872	07.53%
	Third Nationalist Party (TPN)	11,442	03.61%
	Renewal Party (PREN)	4,218	01.33%
	Liberal Civic Resistance Party (PRCL)	4,096	01.29%
	DIPAL Party (PD)	3,046	00.96%
	National Civic Party (PCN)	1,079	00.34%
José Antonio Molino	Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	9,681	02.98%
Florencio Harris	Socialist Party (PS)	4,374	01.33%
Norberto Navarro	Radical Action Party (PAR)	3,708	01.14%
José de la Rosa Castillo	National Reformist Party (PRN)	2,521	00.77%
Total valid votes		317,171	100%
Spoilt and invalid votes		9,230	02.83%
Total votes/Turnout		326,401	67.10%
Registered voters		486,420
Population		1,200,000

[3]

Legislative election

Parties and alliances	Votes/districts	%	Seats
National Opposition Union (UNO)	??	??	18
National Liberal Party (PLN)	??	??	08
Republican Party (PR)	??	??	04
National Liberation Movement (MLN)	??	??	02
Labor and Agrarian Party (PALA)	??	??	01
Democratic Action Party (PAD)	??	??	01
Progressive National Party (PPN)	??	??	02
Nationalist Party (PN)	??	??	00
Revolutionary Isthmian Party (PIR)	??	??	00
Panameñista Party (PP)	??	??	12
National Opposition Alliance (ANO)	??	??	08
National Patriotic Coalition (CPN)	??	??	03
Third Nationalist Party (TPN)	??	??	04
Liberal Civic Resistance Party (PRCL)	??	??	00
Renewal Party (PREN)	??	??	01
DIPAL Party (PD)	??	??	00
National Civic Party (PCN)	??	??	00
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	??	??	01
Socialist Party (PS)	??	??	01
Radical Action Party (PAR)	??	??	01
National Reformist Party (PDC)	??	??	01
Total valid votes	??	100%	42
Spoilt and invalid votes	??	??
Total votes/Turnout	??	??
Registered voters	486,420
Population	1,200,000

[4]

Aftermath

"As the 1968 elections approached the opposition accused President Robles of unlawfully using his office to support the candidacy of David Samudio as his successor. The opposition parties held a majority in the legislature, which impeached Robles". [5]

The National Assembly met in special session and appointed a commission to gather evidence. Robles, in turn, obtained a judgment from a Municipal Court that the Assembly was acting unconstitutionally. The National Assembly chose to ignore a stay order issued by the municipal court pending the reconvening of the Supreme Court on 1 April, and on 14 March it voted for impeachment (by 30 votes to 12). On 24 March, the National Assembly found Robles guilty and declared him deposed and replaced him with Max Delvalle, who being the senior Vice-President was sworn in as President of the Republic. Robles and the National Guard ignored the proceedings, maintaining that they would abide by the decision of the Supreme Court when it reconvened. The Supreme Court, with only one dissenting vote, ruled the impeachment proceedings unconstitutional. But Delvalle denied its authority to overrule decisions of the legislature and continued to fill the presidency. The Electoral Tribunal subsequently ruled that thirty of the parliamentary deputies involved in the impeachment proceedings were ineligible for reelection. Robles, with the support of the National Guard, retained the presidency. [6]

References

1. Black, Jan Knippers and Edmundo Flores. "Historical setting." Meditz, Sandra W. 1989. Panama: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Rederal Research Division, Library of Congress. Pp. 42.
2. Gorvin, Ian. 1989. Elections since 1945: a worldwide reference compendium. Chicago: St. James Press. Pp. 267.
3. Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.532.
4. Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.] : Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.529.
5. Gorvin, Ian. 1989. Elections since 1945: a worldwide reference compendium. Chicago: St. James Press. Pp. 267.
6. Black, Jan Knippers and Edmundo Flores. "Historical setting." Meditz, Sandra W. 1989. Panama: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Rederal Research Division, Library of Congress. Pp. 42.