Panama · Government
Government and administration in Panama
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Executive — President and Vice-President
- Single five-year term; re-election only after two intervening terms.
- Legislative — National Assembly
- 71 deputies elected for five years.
- Judicial — Corte Suprema de Justicia
- Magistrates appointed by the President with Assembly ratification for ten years.
- Autonomous — Autoridad del Canal de Panamá
- Constitutional autonomy over canal operation and tolls.
How legislation is made
Bills receive three debates in the National Assembly. The President may object in whole or in part; the Assembly insists with a two-thirds vote, after which the President must promulgate unless the objection was constitutional, in which case the Supreme Court decides.
Enforcement institutions
- Ministerio Público
- Procuraduría General de la Nación; adversarial system rolled out nationwide by 2016.
- Superintendencia de Bancos
- Prudential and anti-money-laundering supervision of the banking centre.
- Defensoría del Pueblo
- Ombudsman with power to bring constitutional actions.
Government bodies and regulators
- judicialCorte Suprema de JusticiaHighest court; nine magistrates in three chambers.
- executiveMinisterio PúblicoHeaded by the Procurador General de la Nación.
- legislativeAsamblea NacionalUnicameral legislature of 71 deputies.
- independentDefensoría del PuebloOmbudsman protecting constitutional rights.
- independentTribunal ElectoralAutonomous electoral and civil registry authority.
- independentSuperintendencia de Bancos de PanamáSupervises banks and trust businesses.
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