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Opposition candidate Martinelli wins Panama's elections
(Xinhua) -- Ricardo Martinelli, a supermarket magnate and candidate of the opposition Democratic Change Party (DC), won Panama's presidential elections on Sunday, showed preliminary vote counting results from the National Electoral Council (NEC). Among the more than 60 percent of the vote counted, Martinelli garnered 60.74 percent and former Housing Minister Balbina Herrera of Panama's governing coalition gained 36.77 percent, said Erasmo Pinilla, president of the NEC. Shortly after casting his vote, Martinelli told Xinhua that he would "initiate a process of transparency that does not exist in Panama" and put into jail those who are found guilty of corruption. The country should also seek other possibilities and focus primarily on the business relationship with the United States, he added. This is the second time the business tycoon has run in a presidential race. In the 2004 election, Martinelli finished last out of four candidates with only 5.3 percent of the vote. Martinelli, born on March 11, 1952 in Panama City, is the owner of the Super 99 supermarket chain, which is the largest in the country. He served as director of the Chamber of Commerce of Panama from 1985 to 1987 and director of social security from 1994 to 1996. From 1999 to 2003, he worked as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Authority and minister of canal affairs. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-04 |
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