- Written by Vanessa Buschluter
- bbc news
Panamanians are voting in the general election, but this has been overshadowed by the disqualification of the man who topped the polls.
Former president Ricardo Martinelli was seen as the favorite to win until he was banned from running on suspicion of money laundering.
His candidate to replace him, José Raul Mulino, is leading in opinion polls.
The person receiving the most votes in this round will be declared president and will be sworn in on July 1st.
A total of eight candidates are vying for president, and voters will also choose members of Panamanian Congress.
President Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo will not run for re-election, as presidents cannot serve two consecutive terms.
Mulino is leading in opinion polls. The 64-year-old lawyer from the Realizando Metas (Achievement) party was Martinelli’s running mate.
But Mulino also joined the presidential campaign after Martinelli was sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison for money laundering.
But Mulino’s candidacy also faces legal challenges.
Panama’s Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the fact that Mulino was not selected by his party in the customary primary invalidates his candidacy.
On Friday, just two days before the election, the court finally ruled that his candidacy was constitutional.
Mulino is backed by former vice presidential candidate Ricardo Martinelli, who was granted political asylum and has been living in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City since February.
From a small room in the embassy, Martinelli continues to publish video messages supporting Mulino, who served as interior and security minister.
He has not specified how he would close dangerous routes, but has made deterring immigration a key part of his “law and order” proposals.
Mulino has been in the lead in many recent polls, but his rivals still have a big chance, with about one-fifth of registered voters saying they are still undecided.
Two of the people hoping to defeat Mr. Mulino are also very well known in Panamanian politics.
Martín Torrijos was president from 2004 to 2009 and is the son of military ruler Omar Torrijos, who signed a deal with the United States in 1977 to return the Panama Canal Zone to Panamanian sovereignty.
The 60-year-old is campaigning under the slogan “Safe Change.” He promised to invest in the Panama Canal, one of the main drivers of Panama’s economy.
He is now in the People’s Party, which he joined last year after leading the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD).
Former Panama Canal Board Chairman Romulo Lu, 59, is running for president for the second time after losing to current president Laurentino Cortizo in 2019.
The lawyer, who sides with the Party for Democratic Change, says if elected he would implement an “aggressive” job creation plan and improve public services.
He also said he does not support the reopening of controversial copper mines, even though he works for a law firm that represents them.
Another candidate seeking a second term as president is Ricardo Lombana.
The 49-year-old lawyer ran as an independent in 2019, and this time he is siding with the Other Way movement.
Mr Lombana dismissed Mr Mulino’s promise to “close” the Darien Gap, telling Spanish news agency Efe: “Migration has not been stopped by a wall since the existence of humanity.”
Instead, he proposes improving the security situation for migrants crossing Panama on their way north.
Voting will open at 07:00 local time (12:00 GMT) and close in 9 hours. Preliminary results will be announced soon after voting ends.