2009 Panamanian general election

General election held in Panama

2009 Panamanian general election

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| <- 2004 | 3 May 2009 (2009-05-03) | 2014 ->

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Presidential election

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Nominee  | Ricardo Martinelli | Balbina Herrera |
Party  | CD | PRD
Popular vote  | 952,333 | 597,227
Percentage  | 60.03% | 37.65%

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Provinces won by Martinelli in aqua, by Herrera in blue.

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| President before election

Martín Torrijos
Democratic Revolutionary

| Elected President

Ricardo Martinelli
Democratic Change

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Politics of Panama

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Laurentino Cortizo
* Vice President

Jose Gabriel Carrizo

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President: Marcos Castillero Barahona

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Minister: Janaina Tewaney

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General elections were held in Panama on May 3, 2009.[1]

## Presidential race[edit]

Balbina Herrera was the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) candidate for President of Panama. She had previously served as President of the National Assembly of Panama during the Mireya Moscoso presidency[2] and Housing Minister under outgoing president Martin Torrijos.[3] Herrera won her party's primary on September 7, 2008, defeating Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro with a ten-point lead.[3] The Liberal Party and the People's Party were in alliance with the PRD in support of Herrera.[citation needed] Herrera was also endorsed by Ruben Blades, a popular salsa musician who had previously run for president and served as Torrijos' Minister of Tourism,[4] and was initially considered the favorite for the presidency.[5] If elected, she would have become Panama's second female president.[3]

Ricardo Martinelli was the candidate of the opposition Democratic Change, also supported by the Patriotic Union Party, the Panameñista Party and the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement. Martinelli was a successful businessman, and was the chairman of the board of Panama's Super 99 supermarket chain.[6] During the presidency of Ernesto Pérez Balladares, Martinelli had served as Director of Social Security from 1994 to 1996.[5] From September 1999 to January 2003, he had served in the Moscoso Administration as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal and as the Minister for Canal Affairs.[5]

Guillermo Endara, former Panamanian president from 1989 to 1994, ran as the candidate for the Fatherland's Moral Vanguard Party.[7]

Though initially the favorite,[5] Herrera was damaged in the election by her links to former military ruler Manuel Noriega[4] and by the perception that she was a "Chavista", a supporter of leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.[7] Martinelli was also helped by strong support from the business community and his campaign promise of "real change" resonated among poor voters.[5]

On May 3, 2009, Martinelli won the national elections by a landslide, with over 60% of the votes compared to Herrera, who received about 36%. Former president Guillermo Endara finished a distant third.[7] Martinelli was declared the winner after 43.68% of the votes had been counted.[citation needed] This was the second-largest majority in Panamanian history, and the largest since 1989.[8] Martinelli's victory was an exception to a trend of victories for left-leaning Latin American candidates.[4] He was sworn in on July 1, 2009.[9]

## Results[edit]

### President[edit]

Candidate| Party or alliance| Votes| %

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| Ricardo Martinelli| Alliance for Change| | Democratic Change| 509,986| 32.15
| Panameñista Party| 293,554| 18.50
| Patriotic Union| 53,952| 3.40
| Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement| 94,841| 5.98
Total| 952,333| 60.03
| Balbina Herrera| One Country for All| | Democratic Revolutionary Party| 553,974| 34.92
| People's Party| 35,459| 2.24
| Liberal Party| 7,794| 0.49
Total| 597,227| 37.65
| Guillermo Endara| Moral Vanguard of the Fatherland| 36,867| 2.32
Total| 1,586,427| 100.00
Valid votes| 1,586,427| 96.94
Invalid/blank votes| 50,081| 3.06
Total votes| 1,636,508| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 2,211,261| 74.01
Source: Tribunal Electoral

### Legislative Assembly[edit]

Party or alliance| Votes| %| Seats
| Alliance for Change| | Democratic Change| 352,319| 23.42| 14
| Panameñista Party| 334,282| 22.22| 22
| Patriotic Union| 85,609| 5.69| 4
| Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement| 70,457| 4.68| 2
Total| 842,667| 56.02| 42
| One Country for All| | Democratic Revolutionary Party| 537,426| 35.72| 26
| People's Party| 55,598| 3.70| 1
| Liberal Party| 18,111| 1.20| 0
Total| 611,135| 40.62| 27
| Moral Vanguard of the Fatherland| 14,760| 0.98| 0
| Independents| 35,793| 2.38| 2
Total| 1,504,355| 100.00| 71
Valid votes| 1,504,355| 93.79|
Invalid/blank votes| 99,582| 6.21|
Total votes| 1,603,937| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 2,211,261| 72.53|
Source: Tribunal Electoral

## References[edit]

1. ^ CIA – The World Factbook – Panama
2. ^ Michelle Ray Ortiz (1 May 1999). "Panama Could Have 1st Woman Leader". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
3. ^ a b c Kathia Martinez (8 September 2008). "Panama's ruling party picks woman for president". USA Today. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
4. ^ a b c "Super 09; Panama's presidential election". The Economist. 9 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
5. ^ a b c d e Anthony G. Craine. "Ricardo Martinelli". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
6. ^ "Ricardo Martinelli, el magnate de supermercados que ofrece un cambio al país" (in Spanish). EFE. April 28, 2009. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2010. (English Translation)
7. ^ a b c Sara Miller Llana (3 May 2009). "Conservative supermarket tycoon wins Panama vote". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
8. ^ Lina Vega Abad (4 May 2009). "Cifras, techos y realidades". La Prensa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
9. ^ "Supermarket tycoon sworn in as Panama president". CNN. 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2012.

## External links[edit]

* Official presidential results

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