Panamanians go to the polls to vote in presidential elections against a crowded field of eight contenders, with the protege of a graft-convicted former president in the lead.
According to the most recent poll, conservative lawyer Jose Raul Mulino, 64, is far ahead in opinion polls, receiving approximately 37% of voter support.
However, he was forced to wait for a last-minute court judgment on Friday, which finally confirmed his race.
Only three of the seven other contenders have approached 15% support in the Central American country, which is dealing with corruption, a severe drought that has hampered its economically crucial Panama Canal, and a steady stream of US-bound migrants crossing through its jungles.
Mulino is followed by former social democrat president Martin Torrijos and two center-right politicians: Romulo Roux, foreign minister during Martinelli’s tenure, and Ricardo Lombana, a former envoy to the United States.
According to polls, Mulino has more undecided votes than any of his seven rivals.
President Laurentino Cortizo of the ruling PRD center-left party will leave office after a period marked by charges of pervasive government corruption, dwindling foreign investment, and mounting public debt.
Panama has a presidential one-term restriction. Approximately 45 percent of occupations in Panama now are in the informal economy, with unemployment approaching 10%. One-third of the rural population lives in poverty. At the same time, the Panama Canal, which supports the economy and transports around 6% of global maritime trade, has had to reduce traffic due to a debilitating drought.
Another difficulty for the newcomer is the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, through which more than 500,000 unauthorized migrants passed last year, exposed to abuses condemned by rights groups.
Three million of Panama’s 4.4 million citizens are eligible to vote in the single round, which requires a simple majority to win.
