Party jumpers will be watching polls as election nears

The country's top political parties remain neck and neck for the top spot in terms of membership heading into the 2014 elections but the figures could change overnight depending on on the polls

The latest figures revealed by the Tribunal Electoral (TE) this week show that the Cambio Democratic (CD party boosted by flocks of elected officials who jumped ship to benefit themselves or their constituents , is now the country's largest, with 482,474 members, an increase of about 2,000 since August. Before the presidential election, the party had just over 126,000 members
The Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) has 472,018 members. But the party has also lost almost 170,000 members since 2009.
The Panameñista party has remained constant in recent years increased. In 2009 it had 246,614 members and now has 259,401.
 Both major opposition parties could look forward to a surge in membership and the CD a decrease,  as the election nears if band wagon voters ands ship jumpers, see an electoral alliance in the wind, or polls show the ruling party heading for defeat. No party has been re-elected in Panama since the end of the military dictatorship after the 1989 US invasion .
The Molirena party, which had 109,195 members in August but now has 108,464 members. But the party has clearly benefitted from being in an alliance with the Cambio Democrático (CD), as its membership has almost doubled since the 2009 election, when it had just under 57,000 members. The smallest party, the Partido Popular has 25,751 members.