---
title: "Mulino Says He Has No Preferred Candidates in Upcoming Assembly Votes"
date: 2026-04-16
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/mulino-rejects-executive-favorites-panama/
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "Electoral Tribunal"
  - "José Raúl Mulino"
  - "National Assembly"
  - "ombudsman"
  - "Panama politics"
---

# Mulino Says He Has No Preferred Candidates in Upcoming Assembly Votes

## What Happened

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said he has not backed any favored candidates ahead of the National Assembly’s decisions on the ombudsman and a magistrate for the Electoral Tribunal.

He stressed that none of the contenders are his friends and that the final choice belongs to the deputies. If lawmakers select someone else, he said, that will be the Assembly’s sovereign decision.

## Institutional Stakes

The votes come at a sensitive moment for Panama’s institutional balance, since both the ombudsman and the Electoral Tribunal play important roles in public accountability and democratic oversight. The ombudsman defends citizens’ rights, while the Electoral Tribunal oversees election-related matters.

Mulino’s comments seek to draw a line between the Executive and the legislative selection process. By publicly distancing himself from the race, he placed responsibility squarely on the deputies and reinforced the idea that the Assembly should decide without outside pressure.

## Why It Matters

Appointments to oversight institutions often draw attention because they can shape how citizens experience government services and how elections are managed. In Panama, those choices also carry political weight, especially when the Executive and the legislature must show that key posts are decided through formal constitutional channels.

The president’s message also signals that he expects the process to move forward without claims of executive favoritism. That stance may be intended to calm concerns about political influence and to present the nominations as a matter for the full chamber rather than the presidency.

## Looking Ahead

The Assembly’s decision will determine who fills the posts and how the next phase of oversight is handled. Mulino has made clear that, regardless of the outcome, his administration will accept the deputies’ choice.