[3] National police forces, under the command of Remón, were called in ostensibly to maintain the monitor the elections,[5] though in reality their presence was intended to sway the voting to Diaz Arosemena,[5] the preferred candidate of the United States.
[7] Chanis was sworn in as acting chief executive on July 28, 1949, when then president Domingo Diaz Arosemena took a six-month leave for health reasons.
The Assembly, at the behest of former president Harmodio Arias,[10] supported Chanis, and prepared for confrontation with the national police.
[11] This misstep, and his desire to avoid violence, led Remón to replace him with his former "bitter political enemy"[12] Arnulfo Arias, with the approval of the Panama Congress.
[12] To legitimize the presidency, the national election jury, who had in 1948 ruled against Arias, " found pro-Arias votes it had been unable to find in weeks after the 1948 balloting".