General elections were held in Panama on 7 June 1936, electing both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly.

According to Thomas L. Pearcy, "Instead of supporting the candidate of his own Liberal Doctrinaire Party (Domingo Díaz Arosemena), the President Harmodio Arias Madrid supported Juan Demóstenes Arosemena Barreati, his minister of foreign relations. Arosemena continued to function as part of the administration throughout his campaign. With President Harmodio Arias as his political patron, Arosemena stuck to his controversial (and unconstitutional) candidacy. On election day, the administration distributed duplicate ‘cédulas’ (voter registration cards), destroyed ballot boxes, detained opposing members of the electoral board, and concocted ‘el paquetazo de Veraguas’. The result was a high voter turnout that exceeded all predictions – and possibilities – and brought Arosemena to the presidency despite his constitutional ineligibility."[1]

Results

President

CandidateParty or allianceVotes%
Juan Demóstenes ArosemenaNational CoalitionNational Revolutionary Party41,74746.91
Chiarista Liberal Party
Conservative Party
Domingo Díaz ArosemenaPopular FrontLiberal Doctrinaire Party39,98244.93
Liberal Renewal Party
Liberal Democratic Party
Socialist Party
Belisario Porras BarahonaUnited Liberal Party7,2688.17
Total88,997100.00
Source: The New International Year Book for the Year[2]

National Assembly

Party or allianceSeats
National Coalition National Revolutionary Party9
Chiarista Liberal Party7
Conservative Party 2
Popular FrontLiberal Doctrinaire Party8
Liberal Democratic Party 4
Socialist Party 1
Liberal Renewal Party0
United Liberal Party1
Total32
Source: Political Handbook of the World[3]

Aftermath

President Arosemena died on 16 December 1939 and was briefly succeeded by Ezequiel Fernández Jaén who was his second Vice-President while the first one, Augusto Samuel Boyd, left Washington where he was acting as Panamanian ambassador, came to Panamá.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Pearcy, Thomas L. "Panama's generation of '31: patriots, praetorians, and a decade of discord." Hispanic American historical review 76, 4 (November 1996). Pp. 714.
  2. ↑ The New International Year Book for the Year. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1937. Pp. 572.
  3. ↑ Political Handbook of the World, 1937. New York, 1937. Pp. 144.
  4. ↑ Major, John. Prize possession: the United States and the Panama Canal, 1903-1979. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1993. Pp. 261.
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