Panama Elections: Voting Done as Panamanians Await Who Will Their Next President Be | Latin Post [Video]

Voters have now cast their ballots as polling centers officially close throughout Panama. The presidential election now goes to the counting stage. The next president is due to be sworn in on July 1 of this year.

Eight candidates are vying for the presidency, though Jose Raul Mulino was the one leading in the polls coming into last Sunday’s ballot. He replaced the disgraced former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli as his party’s nominee. Martinelli, who has been sanctioned by the US government for corruption, was ruled ineligible to run because he was found guilty of money laundering.

The BBC noted that the Panama Elections will also have voters choosing their respective representatives in the country’s National Assembly. Incumbent President Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo is constitutionally barred from running for re-election as Panamanian presidents are not allowed to have two consecutive terms in office. He can run again in the next election.

Martinelli was the favorite …