José Raúl Mulinothe dolphin of the disqualified former ruler Ricardo Martinelli, leads the presidential election in Panama with 34.14% of the votessurpassing 57% of the vote, according to the unofficial results released by the Electoral Tribunal (TE).
Mulino, 64 years old and who appeared at the head of the few polls released before the votes, was appointed at the last minute by the TE as presidential candidate of the alliance of the Realizing Goals (RM) and Alianza parties, replacing Martinelliwho was disqualified by a sentence of more than ten years in prison for money laundering.
In second place was Ricardo Lombanathe anti-system candidate of the Nobel Other Path Movement (Moca), with 24.84% of the votes, and in third position the former president Martin Torrijos (2004-2009), standard bearer of the minority Popular Party (PP), with 15.84%.
The candidate for the coalition of the Democratic Change (CD) and Panameñista Party parties, Romulo Rouxoccupied fourth place with 12.34% and fifth place went to the standard bearer of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and Panamanian vice president, José Gabriel Carrizo, with 6.09% of the votes.
More than three million voters were summoned to the polls to elect, from among 885 candidates, a president and a vice president, 71 deputies to the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), 20 to the Central American Parliament, 81 mayors, 701 township representatives and 11 councilors, all with their substitutes , for the period 2024-2029.
Election day was characterized by a high participation and the absence of notable incidents, beyond specific complaints of alleged irregularities with the ballots and pugnacity between party supporters.
Mulino’s candidacy was on the eaves until last Friday, when the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) – which had been meeting behind closed doors since Tuesday – declared constitutional the presidential nomination of the right-wing José Raúl Mulino.
The Save Panama candidate took over from former president Ricardo Martinelli, after confirming a sentence against him of almost eleven years in prison for money laundering, and will seek asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy.
