44. Are there limits on traditional media advertising spending in relation to election campaigns?

Source: Artículo 210, 231, 244, 245, 260, Código Electoral de Panamá, 2022. Article 210, 231, 244, 245, 260, Electoral Code of the Republic of Panama, 2022.

(ES)
Artículo 210. El 93 % del monto correspondiente al financiamiento preelectoral, se asignará a todos los partidos políticos que participarán en las elecciones, para ser invertido en propaganda electoral y gastos de campaña, por conducto del Tribunal Electoral, de conformidad con las normas de este capítulo, así: [...]
El monto que le corresponda a cada partido, según la fórmula anterior, se entregará así: [...]
b) 70 % para contribuir a los gastos de propaganda electoral. [...]

Artículo 231. Las nóminas podrán financiar con recursos donados o propios, dentro de los topes señalados, actividades como: [...]
- 9. Propaganda electoral que está dentro de los topes que establece este Código, exceptuando la nómina presidencial en las elecciones generales.

Artículo 244. Para el desarrollo de las actividades descritas en el artículo 231 durante las campañas electorales [...] se establece un tope al financiamiento privado [...]. Para el cargo de presidente de la República, será de diez millones de balboas (B/.10 000 000.00) y para diputado, será de trescientos mil balboas (B/.300 000.00).

Artículo 245. Para la precampaña, todos los precandidatos, sean de partidos políticos o por libre postulación, tendrán como tope de ingresos y gastos un tercio del tope establecido para la campaña en el artículo anterior; del cual hasta un tercio podrá ser utilizado en propaganda electoral.

Artículo 260. Son medios de difusión de la propaganda electoral los siguientes:
Los medios de comunicación tradicionales.
[...]

(EN)
Article 210. 93% of the amount corresponding to pre-electoral financing shall be allocated to all political parties that shall participate in the elections, to be invested in electoral propaganda and campaign expenses, through the Electoral Tribunal, in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, as follows: [...]
The amount corresponding to each party, according to the above formula, shall be delivered as follows: [...]
b) 70% to contribute to the expenses of electoral propaganda. [...]

Article 231. The slates may finance with donated or own resources, within the indicated caps, activities such as: [...]
9. Electoral propaganda that is within the ceilings established by this Code, except for the presidential slate in the general elections.

Article 244. For the development of the activities described in Article 231 during the electoral campaigns [...] a ceiling is established for private financing [...]. For the office of President of the Republic, it shall be ten million balboas (B/.10,000,000.00) and for deputy, it shall be three hundred thousand balboas (B/.300,000.00).

Article 245. For the pre-campaign, all pre-candidates, whether from political parties or by independent nomination, shall have as an income and expense ceiling one-third of the ceiling established for the campaign in the preceding article; of which up to one-third may be used for electoral propaganda.

Article 260. The following are the means of dissemination of electoral propaganda:
The traditional media of communication.
[...]

Available at: https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/29482_A/GacetaNo_29482a_20220222.pdf

All pre-candidates have a specific sub-limit. Their spending on propaganda cannot exceed one-third of their total pre-campaign spending cap.

Spending on media is part of the overall private financing cap for their specific office . Notably, presidential slates are prohibited from using private funds for propaganda during the general election.

Parties' spending on media is limited by their public funding allocation. The law earmarks 70% of their pre-electoral public funds specifically for propaganda expenses.