The national leadership of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) publicly censured his general secretary, Balbina Herrerafor a letter he sent on September 28 to the group’s bench in the National Assembly about the electoral reform project.
The decision was reflected in Resolution No. 001-CEN/CDN-PRD, dated September 29, 2026 and signed by members of the National Executive Committee (CEN) and the National Directing Council (CDN).
The document maintains that Herrera unilaterally established a supposed “institutional position” on the electoral reforms, without this being previously debated and approved by the party’s leadership bodies.
The resolution cites article 5, literal “g”, of the PRD statute, which establishes the duty of members to make criticisms within party organizations and indicates criticisms formulated publicly outside of those spaces as a serious offense.
The national leadership also cites article 35, literal “j”, related to the functions of the General Secretariat. According to the resolution, this provision establishes the responsibility of communicating to the benches the agreements adopted by the CEN and the CDN, but does not allow imposing individual positions in the name of the party.
In their first point, the CEN and the CDN censor the actions, communications and letters unilaterally disseminated by Herrera.
The second point disavows the content of the letter sent to the deputies and establishes that their statements correspond to a personal opinion and that they do not represent an institutional position approved by the highest management bodies of the group.
The resolution maintains that Herrera’s document generated differences that, according to the national leadership, should have been discussed within party structures.
Despite the internal conflict, the resolution expressly establishes the position that the CEN and the CDN recognize as institutional regarding the electoral reform project.
In the third point, both organizations ratify their “absolute support” for the proposal and maintain that the modifications strengthen institutions and democratic participation.
The national leadership also supports the PRD deputies and asks them to continue with the legislative debate, maintain bloc unity and act in coordination with the guidelines approved by the leadership bodies.
A dispute over party representation
The resolution places the power to set political positions on behalf of the PRD at the center of the debate.
The document maintains that the CEN constitutes, in accordance with the aforementioned statute, the highest executive body and that institutional positions must arise from collegiate and majority decisions.
Thus, the conflict is not limited to the content of the letter on electoral reforms. It also raises an internal dispute over who can speak on behalf of the group and under what procedure.
The resolution establishes that its provisions are of “strict compliance” and that they come into force upon their approval by the absolute majority of the members of the CEN and the CDN.
The document was dated in Panama City on September 29, 2026.
