Panama elects on national level a head of state, i.e. the president, and a legislature. The president and the vice-president are elected on one ballot for a five-year term by the people. The National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) has 71 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat and multi-seat constituencies.
See also: Political parties in Panama.
Panama has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
| Position | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Presidential (May) National Congress (May) Gubernatorial (May) | None | Presidential (May) National Congress (May) Gubernatorial (May) | ||||
| President and vice president | President and vice president | None | President and vice president | ||||
| National Congress | All seats | None | All seats | ||||
| Provinces, cities and municipalities | All positions | None | All positions | ||||
| Position | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Presidential (July) National Congress (July) Gubernatorial (July) | None | Presidential (July) National Congress (July) Gubernatorial (July) | ||||
| President and vice president | 1 July | None | 1 July | ||||
| National Congress | 1 July | None | 1 July | ||||
| Provinces, cities and municipalities | 1 July | None | 1 July | ||||
See main article: 2024 Panamanian general election.