The opposition Alliance for Change candidate was elected the next president of Panama by a wide margin.
With 91% of the polling stations having been examined, Ricardo Martinelli had obtained 60.31% of the votes, followed by the official candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Balbina Herrera, who had accumulated 37.33% and Guillermo Endara, who had received 2.35%.
The period for electoral propaganda ends today, just three days from the May 3 elections.
Panamanians will elect the successor to current President Martín Torrijos for the period 2009-2014.
Prensa.com reported: "The candidates for the Presidential Seat are: Ricardo Martinelli of the opposition Alliance for Change, the official candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Balbina Herrera and former president Guillermo Endara, of Moral Vanguard for the Country (VMP)."
For whoever wins the elections on May 3, the main challenge will be to maintain the economic growth that has averaged 8% annually in recent years.
Both the PRD (the Democratic Revolutionary Party, plus the Liberal Party and the People's Party) and Alianza para el Cambio (Democratic Change, the Patriotic Union, the Panamanian Party and Molirena), propose the continuation of the current macro-economic direction of the country, giving continuity to many of the programs conducted by the government of Martín Torrijos.
With an increase of 16% annually over the past five years, trade between the countries of Central America is the real force behind regional integration.
Despite the comings and goings with which governments have handled the process of integration, intra-regional trade continually progresses. In recent years, the numbers in the exchange of goods and services between the countries of the region have doubled, surpassing $6.3 billion per year.
It's Tuesday morning, just five days before the all important PRD primary election in Panama. You can almost feel the temperature rising...
The most important race to be decided is between the former Housing Minister Balbina Herrera and the Mayor of Panama City Juan Carlos Navarro. Both are running for the Presidency of the Republic and the winner of the PRD primary election on Sunday will represent the party in the general national elections in May 2009. Interestingly enough, the political fever is keeping the opposition guys vibrating as well.
The decision of the Executive Branch to contract directly and without bids the construction of a 600 million dollar container terminal at Farfán has created distrust in Panama's business and political classes.
The move could be seen as a violation of the Fiscal Code. One politician, Guillermo Endara, president of the Vanguardia Moral de la Patria, called the move an administrative "atrocity" and said he would rescind the contract if he were elected in 2009.
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