3rd Presidential Debate April 17th

The third official debate of the 2024 presidential electoral process happens on April 17th at the Anayansi Theater of the Atlapa Convention Center, an event organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, and the Electoral Tribunal (TE), with the production of Corporación Medcom.  It will focus on 4 themes:

Employment and entrepreneurship

Water and sustainability

Institutionality

Social development

Unlike the previous two, this face to face will be divided into four blocks.  In the first, each candidate will have 30 seconds to introduce themselves. In the second, each one will have one minute and 30 seconds to talk about their proposals regarding the topics of the debate. While the candidate speaks, any of her opponents can reply for 45 seconds. To do this he must press a button and whoever does it the fastest can reply first, and so on.  In the third block, candidates will have 15 seconds to ask another question. A draw will be held to determine who asks whom. Whoever responds will have 45 seconds to speak.  While the fourth block is for the conclusions. You will have one minute to say goodbye.  However, along the way this methodology could receive modifications, as some campaigns have shown concern about the dynamics of some of the blocks.  On April 10th a draw will be held to establish the order in which the candidates will participate.  The first debate was held on February 26th and the second was held on March 13th.  In both, seven of the eight presidential candidates have participated: José Gabriel Carrizo , from the Democratic Revolutionary Party and Molirena; Martín Torrijo s, from the Popular Party; Rómulo Roux , from Cambio Democrático and the Panameñista Party; Ricardo Lombana, from the Other Path Movement; as well as Melitón Arrocha, Zulay Rodríguez, and Maribel Gordón, candidates for free nomination.  José Raúl Mulino, candidate of the Realizing Goals and Alianza parties, has already announced that he will not attend.