1928 Panamanian general election

General elections were held in Panama on 5 August 1928 to elect both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly.

Background

Prior to the elections there was a split in the Liberal Party, resulting in two Liberal candidates for president. There was no Conservative candidate.

Campaign

In 1928 President Rodolfo Chiari wrested control of the Liberal Party apparatus from Belisario Porras Barahona. The president also controlled four of seven posts on the national electoral board. The combination of these two factors gave Rodolfo Chiari nearly insurmountable powers and severely curbing his opponents' ability to compete effectively in elections.

Results

President

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Florencio Harmodio Arosemena	Chiarista National Union (PLCh–PC–PL–PA–PD)
Jorge Eduardo Boyd	Porrista National Coalition (PLP–PCF–PRO)
Invalid/blank votes			–
Total
Registered voters/turnout
Source: Political Handbook of the World

National Assembly

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Chiarista Liberal Party			30	New
Conservative Party			11	+3
Labor Party			1
Agrarian Party			1
Democratic Party			1
Porrista Liberal Party			0	New
Conservative Party (Fabrega)			0
Workers' Republican Party			0
Independents			2
Invalid/blank votes		–	–	–
Total			46	0
Registered voters/turnout			–	–
Source: Political Handbook of the World

Aftermath

Immediately after President Arosemena's resignation on 2 January 1931, the Supreme Court decided that the election of the First, Second and Third Vice-Presidents in October, 1930, was unconstitutional and invited Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované (Minister to the United States), who was elected First Vice-President in 1928, to become President of the Republic.