---
title: "Panama’s Assembly Moves to Vote on the Next Ombudsman"
date: 2026-04-08
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-ombudsman-vote-assembly/
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "Eduardo Leblanc"
  - "human rights"
  - "Luis Eduardo Camacho"
  - "ombudsman"
  - "Panama National Assembly"
---

# Panama’s Assembly Moves to Vote on the Next Ombudsman

## What Happened

The National Assembly has entered the decisive phase of selecting Panama’s next Ombudsman, with the full chamber scheduled to vote on the appointment during Wednesday’s plenary session.

The contest comes after weeks of tension inside the legislature over how the post should be filled. Four members of the Government Commission, including its chairman Luis Eduardo Camacho, are backing a minority report that would put all 33 candidates before the full Assembly.

That position stands in contrast to the majority report, which recommends a shorter list of seven finalists. The final decision now rests with Panama’s 71 deputies, who must choose between the two selection methods before moving to the appointment itself.

## Competing Paths for the Selection

The Ombudsman post has become a point of institutional debate because the procedure for narrowing the field of candidates has divided lawmakers. Supporters of the minority report want every aspirant considered by the plenary, while the majority report would limit the vote to a smaller group.

The dispute highlights the political weight of the office, which plays a key role in defending human rights and reviewing complaints against public authorities. Because the decision is made in the Assembly, the process has also become a test of alliances and voting blocs inside the legislature.

## Leblanc Steps Aside

Minutes before the National Assembly began the selection process, current Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc withdrew his bid for re-election. His decision changes the dynamics of the race and removes the sitting officeholder from the contest just as lawmakers prepare to vote.

The withdrawal adds another layer to a process already marked by procedural dispute. With Leblanc out of the race, the Assembly’s focus now shifts fully to which list of candidates will advance and how the chamber will resolve the competing proposals.

## Why It Matters

The Ombudsman’s office is one of the country’s key oversight institutions, and the Assembly’s vote will shape who leads it during the next term. The outcome will also signal how much support each side has within the chamber at a time when legislative consensus remains difficult to secure.

For now, all attention is on the plenary floor, where deputies are expected to settle both the selection mechanism and the appointment itself in a single high-stakes political test.