Political analyst Moisés Bartlett has heavily criticized the use of electoral subsidies by the leadership of political parties. This subsidy, which was originally intended for citizen training and education, is being diverted by party leaders to consolidate their control over the collectives, thereby weakening internal democracy.
Bartlett explained that the electoral subsidy was created to promote civic values, strengthen democracy, and ensure fairness in electoral competition. However, it has now become a tool for political clientelism, used at the discretion of the leadership to maintain power, thus distorting its original purpose.
Furthermore, the analyst denounced the irregular use of the subsidy in political campaigns, where candidates are being supported without genuine popular backing, favoring certain sectors within the parties. This situation has generated discontent among citizens, who are losing trust in political parties as fundamental democratic institutions.
Moisés Bartlett warned about the urgent need to regulate and oversee the use of the electoral subsidy to prevent it from continuing to be used as a tool for political manipulation. He emphasized that without concrete measures, the crisis of credibility of political parties in Panama will worsen, weakening the country's democratic system.
Meanwhile, after the general elections of 2024, the Electoral Tribunal allocated a total of 54.5 million dollars in electoral subsidies to political parties and independent candidates, with the aim of supporting their activities over the next five years. The funds are distributed quarterly and are backed by the legal framework of the Electoral Code.
Bartlett called on the Electoral Tribunal to strengthen oversight mechanisms regarding the use of the electoral subsidy, proposing more frequent and rigorous audits to avoid potential misappropriation of public funds. He expressed confidence that the new president magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal will promote changes in the supervision of these resources, ensuring they are used for their originally intended purposes.
