By Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – Panamanians will go to the polls in Sunday’s general election to elect one of eight candidates to be the country’s next president and vote for hundreds of lawmakers and local officials.
After weeks of campaign events featuring catchy reggaeton songs and popular artists, more than 3 million voters will decide who is best positioned to solve Panama’s pressing economic problems, fight corruption and restore reputation of the country as an investment paradise.
José Raul Mulino, a former minister who replaced the popular ex-president Ricardo Martinelli on the ballot after Martinelli was barred from running due to a money laundering conviction, is leading in opinion polls. Mulino promised to usher in prosperity and keep Martinelli out of prison.
Romulo Roux, who is in his second candidacy for president, and ex-president Martin Torrijos alternated between second and third place. Close behind are Ricardo Lombana, who also ran in the last elections, and current Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo.
Panama’s election rules do not require a runoff, making Sunday’s result final. The campaigns announced they would send volunteers to the polls to oversee voting and ensure a fair election.
No party is expected to take control of Parliament, where 885 seats are up for grabs.
Lawmakers from different parties who supported a controversial government contract with Canadian mining company First Quantum have faced backlash that could damage their support.
Many Panamanians took to the streets last year to protest the Cobre Panama mine contract, which opponents said lacked environmental safeguards and was riddled with corruption. Panama’s highest court ruled the contract unconstitutional in November.
Panama’s next government will face a struggling pension fund system, high levels of public debt and loss of revenue from the mine closure, which accounted for about 5% of gross domestic product.
Corruption has become a hot topic for voters. Local media have recently reported on lucrative student loans and scholarships awarded to the children of wealthy and prominent politicians and families.
After a record 520,000 migrants crossed the dangerous jungle that connects Panama and Colombia, known as the Darien Gap, last year, migration is also on voters’ minds. Some candidates have pledged to open the route, which could increase migration flows, while others want to strengthen controls to close it completely.
The next administration will also inherit problems faced by the Panama Canal, whose revenues plummeted after it was forced to reduce sea crossings due to a prolonged drought.
(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and editing by Anthony Esposito and Rosalba O’Brien)
