Panamanians Head to Polls in Presidential Election

 

Panamanians Head to Polls in Presidential Election Marked by Front-Runner's Disqualification

Panama is holding a general election today, with voters set to choose a new president and members of the national assembly. The election has been overshadowed by the disqualification of the initial front-runner, former President Ricardo Martinelli, who was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to almost 11 years in prison.

Martinelli's replacement on the ballot, José Raúl Mulino, is now leading in the polls. Mulino, a 64-year-old lawyer from the Realizando Metas (Achieving Goals) party, was Martinelli's running mate and has the backing of his former colleague. Despite legal challenges to his candidacy, Mulino was ruled eligible to run by Panama's top court just two days before the election.

Mulino has promised to "close down" the dangerous Darién Gap, a jungle border with Colombia used by hundreds of thousands of migrants annually. He has also campaigned on a "law and order" platform, although details of his plans are scarce.

Other top contenders include Martín Torrijos, a former president and son of Omar Torrijos, who signed a treaty with the US to restore the Panama Canal zone to Panamanian sovereignty. Torrijos is campaigning under the slogan "Safe Change" and has promised investment in the Panama Canal.

Rómulo Roux, a former president of the Panama Canal's board of directors, is running for the second time after losing in 2019. He has promised an "aggressive" job creation scheme and improved public services. Ricardo Lombana, another candidate who ran as an independent in 2019, is proposing to improve security conditions for migrants crossing Panama.

The election has been marked by uncertainty, with many Martinelli voters expected to transfer their support to Mulino. Opinion polls put Mulino in the lead, but with around a fifth of registered voters still undecided, his rivals remain in the running.

Polls opened at 07:00 local time (12:00 GMT) and will close nine hours later, with preliminary results expected soon after. The winner will be declared president and sworn in on July 1, as incumbent President Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo cannot serve two consecutive terms.