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Montevideo, March 19th 2024 - 04:22 UTC

 

 

Former populist leader son elected Panama president

Monday, May 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC
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Martin Torrijos the son of a former populist military leader has been voted as Panama's next president. An opposition centrist Mr. Torrijos comfortably defeated last Sunday his main challenger former president Guillermo Endara. The ruling party candidate Jose Miguel Aleman finished third.

The next president made full use of his late father's legacy, Omar Torrijos who is credited as the man who in 1977 negotiated the treaty that bound United States to return the Panama Canal in 1999.

"If my father were here, he would be proud of what we've accomplished", said Mr. Torrijos who invited his opponents to join him in "a social pact to combat poverty, corruption and despair".

The one round vote was the first presidential election since Panama took over the canal.

Mr. Martín Torrijos, 41, a construction magnate and former McDonald's manager, describes himself as a Social Democrat.

He will replace Mireya Moscoso, Panama's first woman president, who actually beat Mr. Torrijos in the last 1999 election. She is the widow of Arnulfo Arias, who was president on three occasions and was ousted of office in 1968 by Omar Torrijos, father of the next president.

International observers said the election was relatively clean, highlighting the progress of Panama's democracy since US troops invaded in December 1989 to remove former strongman Manuel Noriega, currently imprisoned in Florida for drug-trafficking.

"I am happy because our democracy emerged from this untouched", remarked Guillermo Endara after conceding defeat. Mr. Endara was president from 1989 to 1994.

Torrijos will be presiding over a canal expansion that could cost 5 billion US dollars or more if it gets the anticipated go-ahead later this year from an independent panel. He's also expected to sign a bilateral trade agreement with the United States which should help boos the country's economy.

Categories: Mercosur.

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