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Uclg Country Profiles UCLG COUNTRY PROFILES Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) Capital: Panama City Inhabitants: 3.320.000 (2006) Area: 75.517 km² constitution, operate in a limited and 1. Introduction separate way but in harmonious collaboration. As far as local government is concerned, it was on Panama land that the Spanish founded the first city on firm ground, Santa María la Antigua del Darién. On the 25th of September Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered the Southern Sea (the Pacific Panama is a country in Central America Ocean ) which he confused with the bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the Caribbean Sea, traveled on land and north, the Pacific Ocean to the south, the revealed the strategic importance of the Republic of Colombia to the East and the isthmus for the first time. With the Republic of Costa Rica to the west. It discovery of the Southern Sea came the covers 75.517 km², and has an additional foundation of the first city in Panama, 2.210 km surface area of water. Total: known today as Panama La Vieja. On the 78.200 km. The country’s most important 15th of August,1519 Pedrarias Dávila river, due to its huge influence on the (Pedro Arias de Ávila) founded the city of economy, is the 125 km long Chagres Panama, which grew quickly due to its River, which is vital to the working of the geographic position, which allows for the Panama Canal. The political constitution isthmus to be crossed easily. sets forth in article 3 that “the national territory may never be handed over, sold In 1903 the Municipal Council of the City of or transferred, either temporally or Panama, assembled together in a Town partially to other States.” Meeting, decided to declare the separation of Panama from Colombia in its own right The nation of Panama is organized into an and even though they were henceforth and independent and sovereign state, called in the first Constitution conceived of as the Republic of Panama. Its government is fundamental pieces of the new State, unitary, Republican, democratic and political administrative centralism and the representative. The state exercises public lack of resources undermined any power via the legislative, executive and possibilities of the municipalities’ gaining judicial bodies, which, according to the further strength. UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: PANAMA The National Constitution of 1946 outlines municipal development1, four fifths of the an autonomous municipal system equipped country’s municipalities have low to very with resources as the fundamental pillar of low levels of development, which are the the Panama state, but in practice no result of huge administrative, financial and significant change in the condition of the developmental deficiencies. Only eight councils has been apparent. In the municipalities can boast a medium level Constitution of 1972, reformed in 1978 and and only four can be described as in 1983, law 106 of 1973 and law 52 of the operating at a high level. (Colón, David, 12th of December 1984 concerning Panamá y San Miguelito). This correlates Municipal Rule, the concept of the council with the Relative Development Ratings in as a local unit of development is honored, which 5.9% of the districts (the four but with responsibilities limited to areas mentioned) occupy the medium-high such as maintenance (ornato), category, 23.5% the medium, 61.8% the administration of cemeteries, low, and 8.8% the very low, which slaughterhouses, markets, public and demonstrates a significant weakness in the residential cleaning. majority of the country’s councils. Constitutional reform and the current The nationalist revolution headed by decentralization process should lead to a General Omar Torrijos transformed reversal of this trend. economic and political structures during the course of a decade (1972-1982); Under the government of Martìn Torrijos subsequently a conservative (2004-2009), the problems of local authoritarianism was reinstated, but at the government in Panama’s national history end of the nineties, democratic have taken on greater relevance, playing a liberalization took place that was supported part in constitutional reform, and being by the recuperation of the sovereignty of central to the debate on State the Panama Canal on the 1st of January democratization policies, as well as playing 2000. The Republic of Panama is currently a role in the national debate and passing through a process of significant referendum on the Panama Canal political change, notably the constitutional extension. Nowadays the municipality and reform in 2004 and the referendum about the problems of local development are the extension of the Panama Canal, in relatively strong issues on the government October 2006, which was approved of by agenda, whilst also gaining more political 80% of participants interviewed for the significance, after a decade of demands by enquiry. the different parties to move ahead with the process of state decentralization. Until 2004 the Council was trapped between a centralist central government, an economy going through a transitional 2. Territorial Organization period of metropolitization, a low impact provincial government controlled by the Panama has an estimated population of centralist system and poor representation 3.30 million inhabitants (2005). The on a local level, due to the Community majority of the population is of mixed Board’s particular structure and the low origin (native and Spanish descendants) impact the Local Board had on it. Most of the country’s councils continue to be 1 IPADEM: The Municipal Regime in Panama: IPADEM-1994. vulnerable. According to a typology of 2 Herrera, Ligia. Regions of Socioeconomic Development in Panama 1980-1990 Panama: CELA 1994 Pages 16-18 II UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: PANAMA representing 58%, but there is a diversity policies. It does not rely on public assets or of other ethnic groups made up of black have any taxation powers and the 14%, white 8.6%, indigenous 6.7%, Asian, Constitution does not set out any clear 5.5% and other groups 7.1 %. The annual responsibilities for it. growth during the period 1995-2000 was 1.6%, one of the lowest in Central In terms of the council, the notions America. At this pace, it is estimated that historically used most in reference to local the number of inhabitants will have government in Panama, are those of doubled by the year 2045. municipal autonomy, mayoralty and municipality. The Council is the The population density is notably high in autonomous political organization of the the coastal region of the Panama Gulf, in community established in a District. The the peninsula of Azuero and above all, in Municipal Organization is to be democratic, the metropolitan areas of the of Panama according to the constitution, but it adds, it City and Colón. The urban population is to respond to the essentially represents 56% of the total number of administrative character of the local inhabitants in the country. government. The territory of Panama is divided The municipal level of local government politically into Provinces, these in turn into has a relative degree of autonomy, Districts and the Districts into taxation powers and defined areas of “Corregimientos” or village areas. The law responsibility. The Municipal Council is a may create other political divisions whether decision-making body appointed by to subject them to special regulations or popular election, made up of at least five for motives of administrative convenience members, who may be Representatives of or public service. The provinces will have the Corregimiento or Town councilors in the number of districts that the Law sets the case that the representatives do not forth. reach the required minimum of five members. (National Constitution, article The political division of the Republic of 234). Panama in 2007 included 9 provinces, 75 districts or councils, 5 indigenous regions Local authorities are elected directly, by and 620 corregimientos. means of two ballot papers that the mayors and the representatives of the The province is a local entity, which acts as corregimientos respectively place. Ballots a mediator between the council and central by application are via political parties and government. It is under the charge of the free application with a governing period of Governor who is named or removed by the five years. The local electoral calendars executive body and who presides over the coincide with the national ones (President Provisional Council which is made up of and legislators). The type of representation mayors, representatives, town councilors in the Municipal Council is by Electoral and provincial leaders of governmental District and the re-election of municipal agencies, who have limited functions, posts is consecutive. being more instruments of consultation, and responsible for coordinating The corregimiento is the political base government action in the province. There managed by the Community Board, made is no legislative body at this level, with the up of one representative of the appointed Governor responsible for corregimiento by direct popular vote who carrying out and coordinating functions and presides along with the head of the III UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: PANAMA corregimiento and five locals chosen and of Panama in the south and the city of named by the representative, whose aims Colón in the Atlantic, even though there is are to promote community development. no administrative rule or government in The Community Board organizes Local either of these metropolitan areas. Boards made up of members chosen by their communities or neighborhoods and With regard to territorial reform, the encourages committees to resolve social approval of the referendum on the and economic community problems but extension of the Panama Canal, obtained have no influence over the organization or on the 22nd of October 2006 (78% working of the Community Board. approval), will certainly have an effect on territorial restructuring.
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