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Martinelli, Herrera Are Early Leaders in Panama
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Ricardo Martinelli of the Democratic Change (CD) is virtually tied with Balbina Herrera of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) in the early stages of Panama’s presidential race, according to a poll by Unimer published in La Prensa. 32.4 per cent of respondents would vote for Martinelli, while 31.6 would support the former housing minister.
Juan Carlos Varela of the Panameñista Party (PPA) is third with 17.7 per cent, followed by former president Guillermo Endara of the Moral Vanguard of the Homeland (VMP) with 4.4 per cent.
PRD member Martín Torrijos—the son of Omar Torrijos, an army general who ruled Panama from 1968 to 1981—won the May 2004 presidential election with 47.44 per cent of the vote. Torrijos’ tenure has been marked by his support for an ambitious plan to expand the Panama Canal with an investment of $5.25 billion U.S. In October 2006, the proposal was ratified in a nationwide referendum.
On Oct. 20, David Hunt, the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Panama, eased worries about a worldwide recession, saying, "Despite the meltdown in the rest of the world, the effects have not reached here yet." In spite of stock market crashes all over the world, the Panamanian agency that runs the Panama Canal succeeded in raising $2.3 billion U.S. in financing for the expansion of the waterway.
The next presidential election in Panama is scheduled for May 3, 2009.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the next presidential election?
|
Ricardo Martinelli (CD) |
32.4% |
|
Balbina Herrera (PRD) |
31.6% |
|
Juan Carlos Varela (PPA) |
17.7% |
|
Guillermo Endara (VMP) |
4.4% |
|
Other |
0.8% |
|
None / Blank ballot |
13.1% |
Source: Unimer / La Prensa
Methodology: Interviews with 1,211 Panamanian adults, conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6, 2008. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.