Panama: Mulino Wins Presidential Vote

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Facts

• Former Panamanian security minister, José Raúl Mulino, was declared the new president Sunday night after securing 34% of the vote and concessions from his rivals. With 90% of the vote counted, Mulino held a 10-point lead.¹
• Mulino entered the race late, replacing former Pres. Ricardo Martinelli after a 10-year jail sentence for money laundering prevented him from running. Mulino faced legal objections to his candidacy in the single-round election.²
• Mulino had been Martinelli's running mate before the former moved to the top of the ticket when a court Friday officially recognized Mulino's candidacy, which benefited from Martinelli's support.³
• Mulino's main competitors were former Social Democrat Pres. Martin Torrijos and two center-right politicians — Romulo Roux, who served as a chancellor under Martinelli, and Ricardo Lombana, a former envoy to the US.⁴
• Mulino declared that his administration would be pro-investment and pro-business and that the Central American country would respect its debts. He also promised to help the poor and form a 'government of unity.'⁵
• Mulino's five-year term starts July 1.⁶

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Associated Press, ³Al Jazeera (a), ⁴Al Jazeera (b), ⁵US News & World Report and ⁶reuters.com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Japan Times. Despite his forced withdrawal from the race due to a jail sentence for corruption, Martinelli's popularity remains high. So an electorate that's used to its politicians having some tainted history backed the Martinelli-endorsed Mulino in hopes he can fix many of Panama's problems.
• Narrative B, as provided by Le Monde.fr. Mulino benefited from Martinelli's popularity, but whether Mulino can fulfill his promises and fix Panama's troubles remains to be seen considering the deep-rooted corruption that has hindered the country for years. But the people have spoken, so we'll find out soon if Mulino can deliver.
• Narrative C, as provided by WPLG. With Mulino in power, Panama and the US will maintain their strategic cooperation, putting an end to the increasing levels of migration via the Darien Gap. Controlling migratory flows in Panama is the first line of defense for resolving the US migration problem. Panama and the US have shared security interests, and Panama will benefit both economically and democratically from this alliance.