We vote on Sunday, May 5, in Panama. For these general elections, we will renew the National Assembly for five years, hundreds of local representatives and above all choose a new president. For this single-round election, the favorite is from the right, and his name is José Raul Mulino. He is the ex-runner-up of the very popular Ricardo Martinelli.
With our correspondent in Panama, Grégoire Pourtier
Three million voters must choose a new president. There are eight candidates for this single-round election, mainly veterans of politics. José Raul Mulino is credited with more than 37% of voting intentions in the latest poll. That’s ten points better than in February, when he appeared in the race. Because initially, Mulino was only a candidate to be the running mate of the popular Ricardo Martinelli.
But the latter, already head of state fifteen years ago, was sentenced to ten years in prison for money laundering, and Mulino therefore took up the torch. So, even if his candidacy was only definitively validated by the Supreme Court on Friday, and if Panamanians remember that there have already been surprises, the scattering of votes between the seven other candidates seems to give him a certain margin.
The shadow of Ricardo Martinelli hangs over the ballot
“ Robo pero hizo “. What should be translated as: “ He stole, but he did things “. The expression, well known in Panama, is often repeated by supporters of Ricardo Martinelli. President from 2009 to 2014, the businessman who nicknamed himself “El loco”, the madman, left good memories. There is confidence in Ricardo Martinelli, who is the one who brought radical change to the country. He knows the situation, he knows what needs to be done and what can be achieved. He has already done a lot and that is why many Panamanians, like me, do not care where the money has gone if the country moves forward. », Estimates Manuel, a voter.
Manuel will not vote directly for Martinelli, finally out of the race because of a conviction for money laundering, but for his heir apparent, José Raul Mulino. This former Minister of Security does not have the charisma of his mentor, but the former president remains in charge. He posts videos of support from the Nicaraguan embassy where he is a refugee, and Mulino promises to help him with his numerous legal troubles, described as unjust persecution.
Lawyer Daniel Charles is worried. “ Foreign banks are watching what is happening in Panama. All they are asking for is better control, to reduce the debt. But if Mulino wins, the international community will be obliged to work with him, because we speak with whoever is in power, regardless of whether he is corrupt or not. “, he said.
Metro lines, canal widening…. Fifteen years ago, Martinelli was able to launch a popular policy of major works. If Mulino is elected, he will need to reassure foreign partners to have the same ambition.
The major concerns of the population forgotten
“ The candidates mainly talked about job creation. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an unusual number of undeclared workers in Panama. Around 50% of people who work are not declared. The other theme of this campaign is corruption. The candidates accused each other of being more corrupt than the others », indicates Harry Brown, political scientist and researcher at the International Center for Political and Social Studies (CIEPS) in Panama, at the microphone Carlos Pizarrofrom the Spanish editorial staff of RFI.
The election is therefore eagerly awaited by Panamanians, who however often seem disappointed by the campaign. Because if the candidates all promised to fight against poverty and growing inequalities, there were few concrete proposals. According to the political scientist, “ there have been no real exchanges built on social security issues, the border with Colombia or the Panama Canal “.
Water, an issue avoided by politicians
The major issues of the campaign have indeed been completely avoided. The country’s mining future, which caused a major social crisis in November, or waste management, which is becoming a serious public health problem. Among the problems forgotten by the political class – and which everyone talks about, however… – there is, for example, the lack of drinking water.
So, every morning, before leaving for work, Elvecia Bonilla must stock up on water for the day. Then, very often, his taps will no longer work.“ Governments come and go and we always have the same concerns. It’s been over 15 years since we’ve had running water 24 hours a day.she laments. This time again, no one came to ask us what our problems were, how they could help us… No one. I believe that the priority of water is the one that interests them the least, while it is the most important for us. »
Elvecia lives in the capital. But the network has not been sufficiently modernized despite the increase in population and the creation of new neighborhoods. The province is not better off, especially in mountainous areas, even though the country is one of those that receives the most rain in the world.
In fact, according to this sector technician, some leaders take advantage of the supply thanks to tanker trucks in which the State or municipalities are obliged to invest. “ They keep people without running water, in order to maintain their own businesses, so that their private businesses, or businesses they employ, can continue to provide this essential need. That’s how they steal from crates. They create a necessity for the population to recover the money in a way that appears legal », he judges.
In the Elvecia district, it is estimated that the elections will change nothing. The neighborhood is therefore organizing to install, at its own expense, a system which will compensate for pressure drops, in order to have a minimum of water at all times.
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