Jose Raul Molino was still waiting yesterday Thursday for the decision of the Supreme Court that will decide whether he will be able to participate in the process
Three days before the presidential elections held on Sunday, May 5 in Panama, the poll favorite, Jose Raul Molino, was still waiting yesterday Thursday for the decision of the Supreme Court that will decide whether he will be able to participate in the process.
The 64-year-old lawyer was former president Riccardo Martinelli’s candidate for vice president (2009-2014). But the latter was disqualified, due to his sentence to serve eleven years in prison for money laundering, which prompted him to take refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy.
A lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court, which has been sitting since Tuesday, arguing that since Mr. Molino did not participate in the primaries and has no co-candidate, he should also be excluded from the process. Both terms are legally binding.
The legal framework for these elections, which are held in a single round, with the winner emerging by a simple majority, stipulates that presidential candidates must win a primary if the party they represent has more than 100,000 members.
According to the electoral court, the party Realizando Metas (“Achieving Goals”), to which Mr. Molino belongs and was founded by Mr. Martinelli, has some 200,000 members.
Jose Raul Molino was Mr. Martinelli’s Minister of Security. He had also served as Secretary of State and Minister of Justice. Between 2015 and 2016, he was remanded in custody as part of a corruption investigation, but was released due to procedural errors.
The authorities “have no right to keep the country waiting, with any kind of information, malicious or not, and above all creating an atmosphere of discontent,” Mr. Moulinos told the press yesterday Wednesday.
“I know there is discontent, uncertainty, but regardless of what happens or how it happens, I will be a candidate on Sunday,” he added.
Mr. Moulino leads in voting intentions (25 to 30%). Three other candidates gather between 10 and 15%. All three belong to the opposition. The remaining four participants in the contest, among them José Gabriel CarÃso, of the Social Democratic ruling party, do not exceed 5%.
Source :Skai
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