Center-left candidate Martín Torrijos, of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), won the May 2 elections with more than 47 percent of the vote. Torrijos, 40, is son of the late Gen. Omar Torrijos Herrera, founder of the PRD and "strong man" of Panama from 1968 to 1981, when he died in a plane crash in a mountainous region of central Panama.

Former President Guillermo Endara (1990-94), of the Solidarity Party, took second place with 32 percent of the vote.

"I accept the (people’s) mandate with humility," Torrijos said on learning the vote results. "From now on our campaign slogan ‘security, zero corruption and more jobs’ will become the goal of our government."

He added that he would look for consensus of all sectors to launch a plan to eradicate poverty that affects more than 40 percent of Panama’s 2.8 million people.

Besides the president, 78 legislators, 20 deputies to the Central American Parliament, 75 mayors and 619 district representatives were elected. Some 80 percent of voters turned out for the balloting.

Torrijos, who was accompanied by Rubén Arosamenta and Samuel Lewis in the two vice presidency posts, will take office on Sept. 1 for five years.

Source: Latinamericapress.org