Protecting Elections from Political and Campaign Finance Challenges in Panama

Panama´s ongoing electoral reform process has placed political finance at the center of the debate and discussion, as concerns mount over transparency and fairness of political and campaign funding. Some of the most pressing issues being discussed are surrounding the elite capture of elections through funding campaigns, misuse of state resources, supervision of spending and donations, sanctions mechanisms, among others. The ongoing debate has placed particular emphasis on strengthening rules, improving accountability, and enhancing public confidence in the electoral system. This context makes the discussions around political finance especially timely and central to efforts to safeguard electoral integrity in the country. 

Drawing on International IDEA’s Integrated Framework for Protecting Elections, participants engaged in short expert presentations and interactive round-table discussions to identify key risk factors for fraud and corruption related to political finance and explore practical measures to prevent, withstand and recover from political finance challenges. The event opened with remarks from Alicia Del Águila, International IDEA’s Program in Panama; and Yara Campo, Magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal, both of whom stressed on the importance of the workshop and its value in contributing to participants´ understanding of the risks posed by political finance to electoral integrity in Panama and collectively identify appropriate preventive and mitigating measures. 

The morning featured three presentations by Khushbu Agrawal, Adviser for Money in Politics at International IDEA; Carlos Gasnell, Advisor at the Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Libertad Ciudadana (Transparency International´s national chapter in Panama); and Marta González; Director of the Political Finance Oversight Directorate at the Electoral Tribunal. The presentations highlighted global, regional, and national trends and practices, as well as challenges to political finance transparency.

The rest of the day was dedicated to three in-depth working sessions, facilitated by Nicolás Liendo, Programme Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants worked in groups to discuss approaches to risk management, resilience-building, and crisis management, while ensuring that international best practices were considered alongside Panama’s existing systems and resources.

The workshop reinforced the need for continuous adaptation of Panama’s political finance regulations to modern realities and demonstrated the ongoing commitment of the Electoral Tribunal of Panama to strengthen institutional capacities, foster dialogue with civil society, and promote transparency and public confidence in electoral processes. With participants representing different sectors and institutions, the event also provided an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and inter-institutional cooperation, a cornerstone for protecting elections from corruption in political and campaign finance. A short video with a compilation of participants´ experiences is available here.

This initiative is part of International IDEA’s broader efforts to protect electoral integrity globally, helping countries strengthen their institutions, prevent and mitigate risks, and ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. For more information, visit International IDEA´s Protecting Elections project page.