Nito wins the presidency with a 2% advantage over Roux

An advantage of barely 2% – more than 38,000 votes – gives Laurentino Cortizo, PRD candidate, an unofficial victory over the flag bearer of Cambio Democrático (CD), Rómulo Roux.

At 11:40 pm, with 95% of the votes cast in the Unofficial Results Transmission System (TER), the president of the Electoral Court, Heriberto Araúz, called Cortizo by phone to declare him an unofficial winner. Nine minutes later, President Juan Carlos Varela congratulated Nito and told him that he was ready to make the transition.

Cortizo added 621,724 votes (33%), Roux 583,557 (31%), Ricardo Lombana 361,999 (19.3%), José Blandón 195,861 (10.4%), Ana Matilde Gómez 90,292 (4.8% ), Saúl Méndez 12,507 (0.67%) and Marco Ameglio 10,983 (0.59%).

The advantage of Cortizo was the lowest post-invasion election, even lower than that obtained in 1994 by Ernesto Pérez Balladares compared to Mireya Moscoso, a difference of 4% and 44,935 votes. For Panameñismo, it was a worse defeat than that suffered in 2004 by José Miguel Alemán.

Rómulo Roux declared that he would not recognize the triumph before having examined 100% of the minutes, alleging that there had been irregularities and difficulties, which left a doubt on the result. You can not make an irresponsible statement based on unofficial figures, said the CD candidate.

However, former President Ricardo Martinelli congratulated the "Nito" and the PRD for their unofficial victory. They have the great responsibility to come back to unite the Panamanians and get us out of the hole Varela put us in. May God bless us all. "

Cortizo – in a speech in front of his supporters – said that Panama can sleep peacefully … although the advantage is minimal, it amounts to filling the Rommel Fernandez twice.

He also asked not to demonize the political parties that got 75% of the votes. He promised not to coerce the National Assembly and announced that he would have his cabinet by the end of the month and that his Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo and his former Minister Héctor Alexander would coordinate the transition.

In the middle of his speech, the crowd shouted: Nito, Nito! To which the president-elect smiled, took a sip of water and then asked the mbades who demanded a kiss to stick their lips with those of his wife Yazmin.

He also thanked the "PRD warriors, the Molirena and their opponents for running a tall, civic, peaceful and tolerant campaign.

Those who have fallen into disqualification and attack today are late … are forgotten because our love for Panama is far superior to any offense and difference … the campaign ended today, a new stage begins .

But Cortizo also told his party and the country that the Panamanians had sent a clear message to the political clbad: we do not want, we do not deserve or we can not take more. The relaxation is over, the public funds come from the people and they are sacred, he added.

The elected president has also warned that Nito Cortizo will not send orders to anyone, "because it is due to Panama and its people, not to economic groups, I do not have the power to steal or to pay political or economic favors to anyone, he said.

The president, 66, said that there would be no untouchables in Panama, even though it was about ministers, men and women. business or president. We will do without stealing and there will be an independent justice, he added.

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