Panamanian general election, 1956

The Panama held a general election on 13 May 1956, electing both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly.

The National Patriotic Coalition was almost unopposed in the 1956 election race. The National Liberal Party made the gesture of offering candidates but did not campaign vigorously”. [1]

Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro, the government candidate, was a conservative businessman and a member of the oligarchy. The José Antonio Remón Cantera’ government had required parties to enroll 45,000 members to receive official recognition. This membership requirement, subsequently relaxed to 5,000, had excluded all opposition parties from the 1956 elections except the National Liberal Party (PLN) which traced its lineage to the original Liberal Party. [2]

Presidential election results[3]

Candidate Party/Alliance Votes %
Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro National Patriotic Coalition (CPN) 177,633 68.49%
Víctor Florencio Goytía National Liberal Party (PLN) 81,737 31.51%
Total valid votes 259,370 100%
Spoilt and invalid votes 47,400 15.45%
Total votes/Turnout 306,770 79.34%
Registered voters 386,672
Population 950,000

Legislative election [4]

Parties and alliances Votes/districts % Seats
National Patriotic Coalition (CPN) ?? ?? 42
National Liberal Party (PLN) ?? ?? 11
Total valid votes ?? 100% 53
Spoilt and invalid votes ?? ??
Total votes/Turnout ?? ??
Registered voters 386,672
Population 950,000

References

  1. ^ Institute for the Comparative Study of Political Systems. Panama: election factbook, May 12, 1968. Washington: Institute for the Comparative Study of Political Systems. 1968. Pp. 30.
  2. ^ 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. 35.
  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.