General elections were held in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

on 5 June 1932 to elect a new President of the Republic and a new

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

Harmodio Arias Madrid Harmodio Arias Madrid (3 July 1886 – 23 December 1962) was a Panamanian politician. He served as acting President of Panama in January 1931 and again from June 5, 1932, to October 1, 1936, after winning the 1932 presidential election. Fa ...

of the Liberal Doctrinaire Party (PLDo) was elected President, whilst the PLDo emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly, winning 14 of the 32 seats.

Campaign

During the presidential election campaign the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

divided into three factions; the Chiarista Liberals (PLCh) led by former president

Rodolfo Chiari Rodolfo Chiari Robles (November 15, 1869 in Aguadulce – August 16, 1937 in Monrovia, California) was a Panamanian politician of the National Liberal Party. Chiari was the general manager of National Bank of Panama from 1909 to 1914. He ...

, the Liberal Doctrinaire Party supporting Harmodio Arias Madrid and the Reform Liberals (PLR), led by Francisco Arias Paredes ("don Pancho").''Political Handbook of the World, 1936'', Harper Amp Brothers, p146 The Chiarists nominated

Augusto Samuel Boyd Augusto Samuel Boyd Briceño (1 August 1879 in Panama City – 17 June 1957 www.encaribe.org) was a politician from Panama. Background He was elected as the first presidential designate by the National Assembly for the terms 1936–1 ...

, the PLDo chose Arias Madrid, and the PLR selected Arias Paredes. However, shortly before the end of the campaign Boyd withdrew from the race and the PLCh backed the PLR's Arias Paredes.

Conduct

Although the 1931 revolt toppled Florencio Harmodio Arosemena's administration, it had not removed the structural hegemony of the Panamanian elite, a condition that severely limited the new regime's effectiveness. Before Arosemena's ousting, followers of former president

controlled both the National Police and the electoral board. After the uprising, the Chiaristas still wielded considerable influence among the police and commanded a majority of votes on the electoral board.Thomas L. Pearcy (1996) "Panama's generation of '31: Patriots, praetorians, and a decade of discord", ''Hispanic American Historical Review'', Vol 76, pp691–719 To prevent Chiari's followers from voting more than once, the Alfaro Jované administration requested American assistance in devising a plan to prevent multiple voting. The US provided the government with an indelible red dye to stamp voters' hands once they had cast their ballots. The voting results underscored the extent to which the insurgents now controlled the nation's electoral machinery. Although the Chiaristas figured out how to erase the ink and vote more than once, it did not prevent the Chiarista-backed candidate from winning. For the first time in the history of presidential elections in Panama, neither party requested American intervention. with American interference deemed to have become undesirable to all factions and parties. William D. McCain (1937) ''The United States and the Republic of Panama'', Russell & Russell, p77

Results

President

National Assembly

References

{{Panamanian elections

1932 in Panama

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...

Presidential elections in Panama Election and referendum articles with incomplete results