Panama to choose president after front-runner sentenced

Panamanians are voting successful a wide predetermination which has been overshadowed by the disqualification of the antheral who was starring successful the polls.

Ex-President Ricardo Martinelli was the favourite to triumph until helium was banned from moving aft being recovered blameworthy of wealth laundering.

His replacement connected the ballot, José Raúl Mulino, is starring successful the polls.

Whoever wins astir the votes successful this circular volition beryllium declared president and sworn successful connected 1 July.

There are a full of 8 candidates competing for the presidency, and voters volition besides take members of Panama's nationalist assembly.

As presidents cannot service 2 consecutive terms, the incumbent, Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo, volition not basal for re-election.

Opinion polls enactment Mr Mulino successful the lead. The 64-year-old lawyer from the Realizando Metas (Achieving Goals) enactment was Mr Martinelli's moving mate.

But aft Mr Martinelli was sentenced to astir 11 years successful situation for wealth laundering, Mr Mulino joined the contention for president.

However, Mr Mulino's candidacy has besides faced ineligible challenges.

Panama's apical tribunal was asked to determine whether the information that Mr Mulino was not chosen by his enactment successful the customary superior predetermination invalidated his candidacy.

On Friday, conscionable 2 days earlier the election, the tribunal yet ruled that his candidacy was constitutional.

Mr Mulino has the backing of his erstwhile moving mate, Ricardo Martinelli, who has been surviving successful the Nicaraguan embassy successful Panama City since February, wherever helium was granted governmental asylum.

From a tiny country successful the embassy, Martinelli has been publishing video messages successful enactment of Mr Mulino, who served arsenic his interior and information minister.

He has not said however helium would adjacent the unsafe way but has made stopping migration an important portion of his "law and order" proposals.

A fig of caller sentiment polls person enactment Mr Mulino successful the pb but with astir a 5th of registered voters saying they were inactive undecided, his rivals are inactive precise overmuch successful with a chance.

Two of those hoping to bushed Mr Mulino besides are precise well-known names successful Panamanian politics.

Martín Torrijos was president from 2004 to 2009 and is the lad of Omar Torrijos, the subject ruler who signed a pact with the US to reconstruct the Panama Canal portion to Panamanian sovereignty successful 1977.

The 60-year-old is campaigning nether the slogan "Safe Change". He has promised concern successful the Panama Canal, 1 of the main drivers of Panama's economy.

He is lasting for the People's Party, which helium joined past twelvemonth aft starring the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD).

Rómulo Roux, 59, a erstwhile president of the Panama Canal's committee of directors is moving for the nationalist presidency for the 2nd time, aft losing to existent President Laurentino Cortizo successful 2019.

The lawyer, who is lasting for the Democratic Change enactment says that if helium elected, helium would instrumentality an "aggressive" occupation instauration strategy and amended nationalist services.

He has besides said that helium would not backmost the reopening of a arguable copper mine, adjacent though helium worked for the instrumentality steadfast which represented the mine.

Another campaigner who is trying to scope the presidency for a 2nd clip is Ricardo Lombana.

The 49-year-old lawyer ran arsenic an autarkic successful 2019 and is lasting for the Other Way Movement this time.

Mr Lombana has dismissed Mr Mulino's committedness to "close" the Darién Gap, telling Spanish quality bureau Efe that "migration, ever since humankind exists, is not stopped by walls".

He alternatively is proposing to amended information conditions for the migrants who transverse Panama connected their mode north.

Polls volition unfastened astatine 07:00 section clip (12:00 GMT) and adjacent 9 hours later. Preliminary results are expected to travel successful soon aft the polls close.