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Most Panamanians Support Canal Expansion
- Many adults in Panama are in favour of a plan to further develop their waterway, according to a poll by Dichter & Neira published in La Prensa. 54.4 per cent of respondents would vote "Yes" in the Panama Canal referendum, down 2.9 points since early May.
In 1999, Panama regained full control of the all-important canal, the source of 10 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In April, the Panama Canal's board of directors presented an expansion plan, which seeks to add a parallel set of locks to allow giant cargo ships to pass through the canal. The project will cost $5.25 billion U.S. which will be paid entirely by users through a graduated toll system.
The expansion can only be enacted in a nationwide referendum, which has been scheduled for Oct. 22. If approved, the expansion project will take seven or eight years to be completed.
Current Panamanian president Martín Torrijos is in favour of the expansion plan. Former head of state Jorge Illueca—who governed briefly in 1984—has criticized the proposal, deeming it "absurd" and "a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces missing."
Polling Data
How would you vote on the referendum on the expansion of the Panama Canal?
Aug. 6 | May 3 | |
Yes | 54.4% | 57.3% |
No | 17.1% | 27.2% |
Undecided | 28.5% | 15.5% |
Source: Dichter & Neira / La Prensa
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Panamanian adults, conducted from Aug. 4 to Aug. 6, 2006. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.