The substitute candidate for popular former president Ricardo Martinelli has promised to boost the economy.
José Raúl Mulino, a replacement for a former president who was banned from running, won the country's presidential election.
Authorities unofficially called the race Sunday night after three of Mulino's closest competitors conceded defeat. The former Security Minister, who entered the race late after his mentor, President Ricardo Martinelli, was removed from power after being convicted of corruption, won more than a third of the votes cast in the country of 4, 4 million inhabitants.
What is at stake for the new leader are the Central American country's problems with government corruption, a serious drought that has affected maritime traffic in the economically important Panama Canal, as well as immigrants bound for the United States passing through in droves. the jungles of Panama.
“Mission accomplished,” Mulino said after the first results were published. “This is perhaps the most important date of my life, and on my shoulders and my family falls the greatest responsibility of a Panamanian to lead the destiny of the nation.”
Candidate for the parties Alcanzando Metas and Alianza, the 64-year-old had led opinion polls before the vote while highlighting his connections with Martinelli, who was initially his running mate.
The popular former president, who oversaw a booming economy from 2009 to 2014, would run with Mulino as his deputy. However, he was excluded due to a money laundering conviction.
The political firebrand still dominated much of the race, campaigning for Mulino from inside the Nicaraguan embassy, where he took refuge on February 8 after receiving political asylum.
Mulino acknowledged Martinelli after his victory, saying, “When you invited me to be vice president, I never imagined this.”
More than 77 percent of the three million eligible voters cast their ballots to elect a new president, parliament and local governments for the next five years.
Anti-corruption candidate Ricardo Lombana came in behind Mulino in second place, ahead of former president Martín Torrijos and former chancellor Rómulo Roux. All three conceded defeat Sunday night.
Power behind the throne
Mulino, who will serve as head of state and prime minister for a single five-year term, will take office on July 1.
A last-minute decision by the Supreme Court validated his candidacy to replace Martinelli after the former president lost an appeal against his conviction.
Mulino's candidacy had been questioned because he had not won a primary vote or chosen a running mate as required by Panamanian law.
But the court dismissed that complaint in a ruling that was welcomed by Martinelli, whose government oversaw an infrastructure boom, including the expansion of the Panama Canal and the construction of Central America's first subway line.
Mulino has promised a return to strong economic growth. Many believe that former President Martinelli will lead the country from behind the scenes.
Voters were very concerned about corruption and the economy. The term of outgoing President Laurentino Cortizo, of the majority Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), was marred by accusations of widespread official corruption, declining foreign investment and high public debt.
Last year, the country was rocked by protests against a government concession to Canadian mining company First Quantum to continue operating the Cobre Panamá copper mine.
Critics say the mine endangers water sources; a particularly sensitive issue in Panama currently. The drought has effectively hampered commercial transit through the Panama Canal.
The country also faces high income inequality, with unemployment close to 10 percent, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to slow from 7.3 percent in 2023 to 2.5 percent this year. , according to the International Monetary Fund.
Mulino will also have to address immigration issues. Around half a million migrants have crossed the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama. Activists warn that they face the threat of exploitation and physical danger.
