Legal provisions for direct democracy at the local level

Political Constitution of Panama (ConstituciónPolítica de la República de Panam?)

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Panama_2004.pdf

Article 151

Political partiesmay terminate the mandate of principal or alternate Assembly members they have

nominated underthe following conditions and formalities:

1 The reasons forthe termination of the mandate and the applicable procedure must have been

established in theparty bye-laws;

2 The reasons mustrefer to grave violations of the by-laws and of the ideological, political or

general platformof the party, and must have been approved by means of a written resolution

issued by theElectoral Tribunal prior to the date of nomination;

3 The sentencingof the principal or alternate member for premeditated offense to five years or

more in prison byenforceable decision of a court of law is also a cause for termination of the

mandate;

4 The personconcerned shall have the right to be heard by his/her Party and defend

himself/herself intwo different instances;

5 The Party'sdecision to terminate the mandate shall be subject to an appeal which can onlybe

heard by theElectoral Tribunal and which shall have suspending effect;

6 For theapplication of the termination procedure, the parties may establishconsultation

mechanism withvoters in the respective constituency prior to initiating the process.

Political partiesmay also, by summary procedure, terminate the mandate of principal andalternate

members who haveleft their party.

The constituencyvoters may request the Electoral Tribunal to terminate the mandate ofindependent

principal andalternate members they have elected, provided they fulfill the requirements and

formalitiesestablished by law.

Article 238

By popularinitiative and through the vote of the respective Councils, two or moremunicipalities may

request theirincorporation into a single one, or into an association, for reasons of commonbenefit.

Correspondingprocedures shall be established by law.

The municipalitiesof a province with like requisites may unify their regime, establishing acommon

treasury andfiscal administration. In this case there may be created an Inter-MunicipalCouncil

whose compositionshall be determined by law.

Article 239

Citizens have theright of initiative and referendum in the matters entrusted to the Councils.

ElectoralCode 2007 (Código Electoral)

http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/americas/PA/panama-codigo-electoral-2012/view

Artículo 369. El cargo de Representante de Corregimiento principal o suplente se pierdepor las siguientes causas:

3. Por revocatoriadel mandato en los siguientes casos:

1. Si fuepostulado por un partido pol?tico, est? inscrito o no en ?l:

a) Por violaci?ngrave a los estatutos del partido, siempre que las causas est?n previstas enlos estatutos y hayan sido

aprobadas por el TribunalElectoral antes de la fecha de la postulaci?n. En los estatutos de los partidospolíticos se

indicar? la autoridad queconocer? de los procesos de revocatoria de mandato y el procedimiento que se vaa seguir,

garantizando la doble instancia.Los partidos políticos podr?n establecer mecanismos de consulta de loselectores de

la circunscripci?n, para laaplicaci?n de la revocatoria de mandato.

b) Por renuncia alpartido.

c) Por decisi?n delos electores de la circunscripci?n respectiva, mediante un refer?ndumrevocatorio convocado al

efecto en lost?rminos que se indican en esta Secci?n.

2. Si fue electocomo candidato de libre postulaci?n, por decisi?n de los electores de lacircunscripci?n respectiva,

mediante unrefer?ndum revocatorio convocado al efecto en los t?rminos que se indican enesta Secci?n