The Panamanian political map adds new groups that seek to become political parties, although not all of them are at the same stage of the process.
Based on the information available as of September 24, 2026, 1,547,887 Panamanians appear registered in legally constituted parties or in the process of formation, out of an electoral registry of 3,189,267 citizens.
The figure represents 48.53% of the electoral roll. Another 1,641,380 citizens, equivalent to 51.47%, do not appear affiliated with a political group.
The Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) concentrates the largest number of registered people, with 544,839. They continue to achieve goals, with 275,078; Democratic Change, with 262,939; and the Panameñista Party, with 237,526.
Also included are the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), with 79,168 members; the Other Path Movement (MOCA), with 50,087; the Broad Front for Democracy (FAD), with 46,074; Alliance, with 25,971; and the Popular Party, with 20,692.
But the scenario is not limited to already constituted parties.
In training
Three organizations appear in the Electoral Court’s court with members registered as parties in formation: Independent Citizen Action (ACI), with 2,817; National Humanitarian Party (PNH), with 2,332; and RADIX Movement, with 364.
Together, these three groups have 5,513 registered members.
Added to them, within the group of organizations that are already advancing as parties in formation, are the National Transformation Party (TN), the National Authentic Party (PANA) and United for the New Era (UNE).
These six organizations must be differentiated from the groups that are still in other stages of the procedure.
Other organizations advance the process
The Electoral Tribunal received requests from groups interested in starting the process to establish themselves as political parties.
Among these groups are the Panama Project Party (PROPAN), the Citizen Reconstruction Party (PRC), the New Horizon Citizen Project, the Democratic Vision Party (PVD), the Commitment to Renewal with Ethics and Opportunities (CREO), the New Ideas of the Authentic Independent Revolutionary Vision (NIVIRA), the Panama Reborn Movement (MOPARE), the Renewal Force and the Citizen Force.
These organizations should not present themselves as if they all had the same status as a party in formation. They are in different stages of the constitution procedure.
Come on take another step
A different case is that of VAMOS. On September 25, the group delivered more than 70,000 declarations of will to the Electoral Court. He also presented the declaration of principles, the government program, the statutes and other documents related to his application.
The delivery of these statements does not yet mean that VAMOS has more than 70,000 officially recognized adherents. The Electoral Tribunal must review and validate the declarations delivered. Therefore, for journalistic purposes, the figure should be described as more than 70,000 declarations of will delivered, not as a definitive number of affiliates.
The situation of VAMOS must also be kept separate from that of organizations like UNE, which already appears within the group of political parties in formation and which can collect signatures.
Signatures and three percent
The current requirement to establish a political party is equivalent to 2% of the valid votes of the previous presidential election.
In the 2024 elections, 2,275,179 valid votes were registered.
With that base, 2% is equivalent to 45,503 adherents.
That is the current threshold that organizations seeking to establish themselves as political parties must consider.
However, this requirement is at the center of a discussion of electoral reform.
Bill 699, which reforms the Electoral Code, includes a proposal to raise the support necessary to establish a political party from 2% to 3%.
With the results of 2024, 3% would be equivalent to 68,255 adherents.
The difference between the current requirement and the proposed one would be 22,752 adherents.
The proposal is still under discussion. The Government, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Commission of the National Assembly began the first debate of the project on September 16, 2026.
Therefore, the current requirement continues to be 2%, while the reform continues.
