Panama's Mulino wins presidency with support from convicted former
leader
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 [May 06, 2024]
By Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama's former security minister Jose Raul
Mulino on Sunday stormed to victory in a presidential poll dominated by
his old boss, the popular ex-leader Ricardo Martinelli, who buttressed
his campaign despite being holed up in Nicaragua's embassy.
Mulino, 64, was one of the favorites for the presidency after he stepped
in to replace Martinelli on the ballot when the former president was
barred from running due to a money laundering conviction.
"Mission accomplished, damn it," Mulino told his supporters to loud
cheers and applause. "To Ricardo Martinelli, friend, mission
accomplished as well."
Mulino said his government would be pro-investment and pro-business and
said the Central American country would honor its debts, but also vowed
to not forget the poor.
"I promise to the country at this time to put together, to establish, a
government of unity as soon as possible," Mulino told electoral
officials earlier as they video called him to confirm he had won the
presidency.
In a strange election campaign, Martinelli played a key role drumming up
support for Mulino from Nicaragua's embassy in Panama's capital, where
he sought asylum. Many voters saw Mulino as a proxy for Martinelli,
though opponents called him a puppet of the former president.
Nicaragua granted Martinelli asylum but Panamanian authorities have
blocked him from leaving the country. Mulino visited Martinelli at the
embassy after casting his vote on Sunday.
Mulino, a former lawyer, was declared winner having secured about 34% of
the ballots tallied with over 90% of the total vote counted. Ricardo
Lombana, who trailed in second place with about 25% of the vote,
congratulated Mulino on his victory.
DAUNTING TASK
Mulino, a pro-business right-wing politician who served as interior and
security minister during Martinelli's administration from 2009 to 2014,
faces a daunting task of mending social divisions and regaining the
faith of an electorate fed up with political graft.
Among his top priorities will be fixing Panama's pressing economic
problems, tackling corruption, and restoring the country's reputation as
an investment haven.
"We know that now as president he can fix the country," said Hayde
Gonzalez, 46, a medic who danced with her daughters in the center of the
capital upon hearing Mulino was pulling ahead as votes were counted.
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Presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino celebrates with his
supporters after Mulino was declared the winner of the presidential
election based on preliminary results by the electoral authority, in
Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
"There will be more security and the economy will recover," she
added.
Mulino has promised to usher in prosperity through ambitious
infrastructure investment and a higher minimum wage, while
suggesting he would keep Martinelli out of jail.
Magali Rosa, 60, a retiree, said she voted for Mulino because she
felt he could bring more jobs and improve security, and that during
the Martinelli government there was "a lot of money" for everyone.
Mulino will inherit the controversy surrounding a giant copper mine.
The Cobre Panama mine, which accounted for about 1% of total copper
supply, was ordered shut last year after a government contract with
Canadian miner First Quantum was deemed unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court.
Many Panamanians took to the streets to protest against the mine,
which opponents argued lacked environmental guarantees and was
riddled with corruption.
Panama's next government will also have to contend with a troubled
pension fund system, high levels of public debt and the loss in
income from the closure of the mine, which accounted for about 5% of
gross domestic product.
Corruption has become a hot-button issue for voters. Local media has
recently reported on generous student loans and scholarships granted
to the children of politicians and wealthy, high-profile families.
After a record 520,000 migrants last year crossed the treacherous
jungle that connects Panama and Colombia, known as the Darien Gap,
migration is also on voters' minds. Some candidates have vowed to
open up the path, which could increase migration flows into Panama,
while others want to boost controls to shut it down completely.
The next administration will also inherit problems faced by the
Panama Canal, which saw revenues tumble after it was forced to cut
ship crossings due to a prolonged drought.
Mulino will take office on July 1 for a five-year term.
(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno; writing by Drazen
Jorgic; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer, Andrea Ricci, Lisa Shumaker,
Deepa Babington, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)
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