The First Appointments in the Panama Assembly for Shirley Castañedas
The new president ratified and incorporated officials with experience in administrations of the PRD and other parties in key departments such as Human Resources, Budget and Legal Advice, while expectation grows for the future of the legislative staff.
Shirley Castañedas (a member of the Realizando Metas party) was elected and sworn in as the President of the National Assembly of Panama for the 2026–2027 legislative period. Her first official duties upon taking office included installing the new legislative board and outlining her primary goals for the nation. During her opening address and the installation of her term, Castañedas made several key appointments and commitments:
- Executive Board: She swore in the newly elected Manuel Cohen (Democratic Change) as the First Vice President and Manuel Chen (Independent) as the Second Vice President.
- Delegation to the President: She officially appointed a legislative delegation, headed by Member of Parliament Orlando Carrasquilla, to inform President José Raúl Mulino that the National Assembly had formally convened for its third annual ordinary sessions.
Initial Agenda and Commitments
In her first official appointments and inaugural speeches, Castañedas prioritized several key areas of focus for the assembly:
- Legislative Priorities: Supporting bills aimed at reactivating the economy, generating employment, lowering the cost of living, improving education, health services, and access to clean water.
- Institutional Operations: Modernizing the legislature, ensuring a digital “open parliament” with strong civic participation, and conducting transparent, responsible fiscal oversight over public funds.
- Political Independence: Emphasizing a relationship of “harmonious cooperation” with the other organs of the State while defending the assembly’s constitutional independence.
Shirley Castañedas’ first appointments in the administrative structure of the National Assembly point to the continuity of the power networks that have survived changes in the board of directors. In the Human Resources Department, she appointed Leila Chan de Quintero, who until last June was listed on the legislative payroll as a specialized technical advisor, with a salary of $5,000.
