Panama votes this weekend in closest election since 1989 US invasion
Christine Murray and Elida Moreno, Thomson Reuters May 2, 2014 11:10
Panama votes this weekend in closest election since 1989 US invasion
Panama is a trading hub and its successful canal has helped fuel the fastest economic growth in Latin America in recent years.
Panamanians vote for a new president on Sunday in the closest contest in a generation with opponents of President Ricardo Martinelli seeking to thwart the business tycoon's attempt to maintain an indirect grip on power.
Three candidates are just a few points apart in a campaign that has focused more on personality than policy.
Panama is a banking and trading hub and its successful canal has helped fuel the fastest economic growth in Latin America in recent years. Economic and social policies are expected to remain broadly in place whichever of the top candidates wins.
Opinion polls show ruling Democratic Change (CD) party candidate Jose Domingo Arias, whose running mate is Martinelli's wife, neck and neck with moderate leftist ex-Panama City mayor Juan Carlos Navarro of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD).
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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/140502/panama-votes-weekend-closest-election-1989-us-invasion