INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Panamanians are voting in a general election which has been overshadowed by the disqualification of the man who was leading in the
polls.Ex-President Ricardo Martinelli was the favourite to win until he was banned from running after being found guilty of money
declared president and sworn in on 1 July.There are a total of eight candidates competing for the presidency, and voters will also choose
stand for re-election.Opinion polls put Mr Mulino in the lead
primary election invalidated his candidacy.
On Friday, just two days before the election, the court finally ruled that his candidacy
was constitutional.Mr Mulino has the backing of his former running mate, Ricardo Martinelli, who has been living in the Nicaraguan embassy
in Panama City since February, where he was granted political asylum.From a small room in the embassy, Martinelli has been publishing video
their journey north to the United States.He has not said how he would close the dangerous route but has made stopping migration an important
voters saying they were still undecided, his rivals are still very much in with a chance.Two of those hoping to beat Mr Mulino also are very
who signed a treaty with the US to restore the Panama Canal zone to Panamanian sovereignty in 1977.The 60-year-old is campaigning under the
directors is running for the national presidency for the second time, after losing to current President Laurentino Cortizo in 2019.The
improve public services.He has also said that he would not back the reopening of a controversial copper mine, even though he worked for the
law firm which represented the mine.The closure of the mine was announced last year after mass protests shook the country.Another candidate
who is trying to reach the presidency for a second time is Ricardo Lombana.The 49-year-old lawyer ran as an independent in 2019 and is
the migrants who cross Panama on their way north.Polls will open at 07:00 local time (12:00 GMT) and close nine hours later
Preliminary results are expected to come in soon after the polls close.Source: BBC--Agencies
