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Democratic Change (Spanish: Cambio Democrático) is a centre-right[5] political party in Panama.

The party was founded on May 20, 1998, by Ricardo Martinelli, owner of the Super 99 supermarket chain. At the end of 2013 the party listed more than 500,000 members, making it one of Panama's two largest parties with a membership almost equal to that of the Democratic Revolutionary Party.[9]

In the legislative elections of May 3, 2009, the party won 23.4% of the popular vote and 14 out of 78 seats. In the presidential elections of the same year, the party leader, Ricardo Martinelli, was elected President of Panama with 59.97% of the vote.

The party's candidate for the presidential elections of 2014 was José Domingo Arias who led the opinion polls but lost to then vice-president Juan Carlos Varela of the Panameñista Party.[10]

In January 2018, Rómulo Roux was elected as president of the party in place of Martinelli, who was detained in a federal prison in Miami at that time for corruption charges.[11] Martinelli would later leave the party in 2020 after disputes over party leadership.

Platform

The party's populist platform includes the support for a strong welfare state, notably programs like Cien a los Setenta for those older than 70 years old and Beca Universal for schoolchildren, mixed with free-market capitalism (similar to a social market economy). This includes measures to attract tourism and business through tax incentives as well as infrastructure investments, such as the expansion of the Panama Canal, highways and airports.

Election results

Presidential elections

Election Candidate Votes Vote % Result
Party Alliance Total Party Alliance Total
1999 Mireya Moscoso 36,068 572,717 2.82 44.80 Green tickY Elected
2004 Ricardo Martinelli 79,491 5.30 Red XN Lost
2009 509,986 952,333 32.15 60.03 Green tickY Elected
2014 José Domingo Arias 483,309 581,828 26.07 31.38 Red XN Lost
2019 Rómulo Roux 564,297 609,003 28.72 31.00 Red XN Lost
2024 138,274 258,818 6.08 11.38 Red XN Lost

National Assembly elections

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Government
1999 Ricardo Martinelli 66,841 5.44% (#7)
2 / 71
 New Coalition
2004 107,511 7.40% (#5)
3 / 78
 Increase 1 Opposition
2009 352,319 23.42% (#2)
14 / 71
 Increase 11 Coalition
2014 573,603 33.72% (#1)
30 / 71
 Increase 16 Opposition
2019 Rómulo Roux 405,798 22.45% (#2)
18 / 71
 Decrease 12 Opposition
2024 239,529 11.19% (#3)
8 / 71
 Decrease 10 Opposition

PARLACEN elections

The amount of seats allocated for the PARLACEN is based on the vote share obtained by each party in the presidential election.

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/–
2019 Rómulo Roux 483,309 26.07% (#3)
7 / 20
2024[a] 138,374 6.08% (#4)
0 / 20
 Decrease 7
  1. ^ Democratic Change did not field any candidate for PARLACEN in this election despite contesting the presidential one.

External links

References

  1. ^ Luxner, Larry (June 2009), "Political Winds Shift in Central America, But Their Direction Is Far From Certain", The Washington Diplomat
  2. ^ a b Johnson, Stephen (9 September 2011), Minor Meltdown in Panama, Center for Strategic and International Studies, archived from the original on 2013-12-21
  3. ^ Conservative businessman elected president in Panama, MercoPress, 4 May 2009
  4. ^ "A Once-Vibrant City Struggles as Panama Races Ahead on a Wave of Prosperity". The New York Times. March 23, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Sullivan, Mark P. (2 February 2011), Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations, Congressional Research Service, p. 1
  6. ^ Freedom House (2011), "Country Report: Panama", Freedom in the World 2011: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, Rowman & Littlefield, p. 519
  7. ^ "Partidos Miembros". Archived from the original on 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  8. ^ "Members | International Democrat Union". February 1, 2018.
  9. ^ Estadística de personas inscritas en partidos políticos constituidos y en formación con relación al Padrón Electoral hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2013, Tribunal Electoral (pdf)
  10. ^ "Arias wins CD primary, says focus will be on unity"[permanent dead link], La Prensa (Panama City), 12 May 2013
  11. ^ González, Carlos H. (2018-01-21). "Rómulo Roux vence a Martinelli en elecciones internas del CD". TVN (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2018-02-03. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
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