Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement

The Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (Template:Langx, MOLIRENA) is a centre-right conservative-liberal political party in Panama.

History

The MOLIRENA was founded on October 21, 1981, by the now-defunct Third Nationalist Party, National Patriotic Coalition, National Liberation Movement and factions that had earlier split off from the National Liberal Party and Republican Party.<ref>Historia del MOLIRENA</ref> This party evolved as part of an alliance of traditional, oligarchy-controlled, and primarily conservative organizations that opposed both the government and the military.<ref> Political Parties of the Americas, the 1980s to 1990s: Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies. Ed. by Charles D. Ameringer. Greenwood Press. 1992. p. 481.</ref>

According to a Soviet Union news article published in 1988:

The MOLIRENA was aptly called a 'patchwork quilt' by local journalists. The characteristic feature of the party was the link of the agrarian oligarchy with the commercial bourgeoisie, i.e. a union of the most conservative segments of the country. The names of members of MOLIRENA leaders César Arrocha Graell, Guillermo Arias, and Rene Crespo, who, as members of the government before 1968, took part in the appropriation of almost a billion dollars from the state treasury, were mentioned in the local press in connection with former 'merits.'<ref>JPRS Reports. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1988.</ref>

In 1984, the party was part of the Democratic Opposition Alliance (ADO), which lost the presidential and legislative elections following suspected widespread fraud by the military.<ref> Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Ed. Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. p. 533.</ref>

During 1987, the party became increasingly involved in confrontations with the government. They openly campaigned—with strikes and street demonstrations, which were violently suppressed—to effect the resignation and removal of General Manuel Noriega, who was accused of drug trafficking, electoral fraud, corruption, and murder.<ref>MOLIRENA</ref>

In May 1989, the MOLIRENA was again part of the Democratic Alliance of Civic Opposition (DAOC) coalition, which supported the presidential candidacy of Guillermo Endara of the Arnulfista Party,<ref> Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Ed. Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. p. 533.</ref> after the official ratification of the results following the US military invasion in December. Guillermo Ford became Second Vice-president of the Republic (1989–1994). During this term, Alonso Fernandez Guardia was president of the National Assembly (1991).<ref> Political Handbook of the World, 1993. New York, 1993. p. 637.</ref>

For the 1994 Panamanian general election, the party was the main component of the Alliance for Change '94, with MOLIRENA's Rubén Dario Carles as the coalition's presidential candidate. He received 171,192 votes (16.05%) and came in fourth.<ref> Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Ed. Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. p. 534.</ref>

In 1999, the MOLIRENA was allied with the Union for Panama (ADP) and its candidate Mireya Moscoso.<ref> Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Ed. Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. p. 534.</ref>

In 2004, the MOLIRENA was allied with the Vision of the Country (ADP) and its candidate José Miguel Alemán. The party won 8.6% of the popular vote and 4 out of 78 seats.<ref> Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Ed. Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. p. 535.</ref>

In 2009, it was allied with the Alliance for Change (ADP) and its candidate Ricardo Martinelli.<ref>Electoral Tribunal</ref>

In 2014, the MOLIRENA allied with the Democratic Change party, and its candidate Jose Domingo Arias, but ultimately lost the election. Afterward, the MOLIRENA's president, Sergio Gonzalez Ruiz, resigned from his post and the presidency fell to San Miguelito legislator Francisco Aleman.

Election results

Presidential elections

Election	Candidate	Votes		Vote %		Result
		Party	Alliance Total	Party	Alliance Total
1984	Arnulfo Arias	30,737	299,035	4.80	46.71	Template:N Lost
1989	Guillermo Endara	132,011	463,388	20.28	71.18	Template:Y Elected
1994	Rubén Dario Carles	116,478	171,192	10.82	16.05	Template:N Lost
1999	Mireya Moscoso	140,240	572,717	10.97	44.80	Template:Y Elected
2004	José Miguel Alemán	60,106	245,568	4.01	16.38	Template:N Lost
2009	Ricardo Martinelli	94,841	952,333	5.98	60.03	Template:Y Elected
2014	José Domingo Arias	98,519	581,828	5.31	31.38	Template:N Lost
2019	Laurentino Cortizo	45,664	655,302	2.32	33.35	Template:Y Elected
2024	José Gabriel Carrizo	7,337	133,791	0.32	5.88	Template:N Lost

National Assembly elections

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
1984	Guillermo Ford	50,936	8.36% (#6)	Template:Composition bar	New	Template:No2
1989		122,974	20.19% (#2)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 14	Template:Yes2
1994	Rubén Dario Carles	116,833	11.30% (#3)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 12	Template:No2
1999	Arturo Vallarino	92,711	7.54% (#4)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 2	Template:Yes2
2004		125,547	8.64% (#4)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:No2
2009		70,457	4.68% (#5)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 2	Template:Yes2
2014	Sergio Gonzalez Ruiz	121,815	7.16% (#4)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady 0	Template:No2
2019	Francisco Aleman	92,340	5.11% (#4)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 3	Template:Yes2
2024		67,908	3.17% (#7)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 4	Template:No2

PARLACEN elections

The amount of seats allocated for the PARLACEN is based on the vote share obtained by each party in the presidential election.

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2019	Francisco Aleman	45,664	2.32% (#4)	Template:Composition bar
2024		7,337	0.32% (#8)	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady 0

See also

• Liberalism worldwide
• Liberalism in Panama