JR Mulino, 64, won the single-round election with more than a third of the vote, the Central American country’s electoral authority said. A little earlier, his rival Ricardo Lombana conceded defeat.
The election came as the country on the economically vital Panama Canal grapples with deep-rooted corruption, a severe drought and the influx of migrants crossing the jungle to the United States. Queues formed at many polling stations, 4.4 million populous country elected a new president, parliament and local government. 3 million had the right to vote. Panama residents.
Polls showed right-wing lawyer JR Mulino far ahead of the other eight candidates. But on Friday, he was forced to wait for a last-minute court ruling before he was finally cleared to compete.
JR Mulino replaced former president Ricardo Martinelli as the candidate of the right-wing Realizando Metas party after Martinelli lost an appeal against his money-laundering conviction. Before the former leader’s disqualification, JR Mulino was Martinelli’s vice president, whose candidacy was challenged on the grounds that he did not win the primary vote and choose his own vice president as required by law.
The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, a decision Mr. Martinelli welcomed. The majority of Panamanians, according to the latest poll, are convinced that he will rule from behind the scenes. R. Martinelli, who received asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy and campaigned for his protégé from there, remains popular in Panama.
Many people in Panama long for the economic boom of 2009-2014. was ruled by the R. Martinelli government, and prosperity was fueled by infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the canal and the construction of the first metro line in Central America. Polls have shown that most voters are most concerned about the high cost of living, access to drinking water and crime.
The main presidential candidates promised the same thing: to create more jobs, stimulate the economy and implement reforms to fight corruption.
JR Mulino, who served as public security minister in Martinelli’s government, called the criminal case against the former boss politically motivated and will now have the power to grant him a pardon. The President of Panama serves only one term.
About 45 percent jobs in Panama are in the informal market, unemployment is approaching 10 percent, and income inequality is high. According to the International Monetary Fund, the growth of the country’s gross domestic product will slow down from 7.3 percent. in 2023 up to 2.5 percent this year One of the reasons is the drought-restricted traffic through the Panama Canal, which accounts for 6% of the total. world maritime trade.
