dpa
Mexico City
Voters went to the polls in Panama on Sunday to elect a new president.
Opposition politician José Raúl Mulino is considered the favourite. Mulino, who is a close confidant of disgraced former head of state Ricardo Martinelli, wants to stop irregular migration through the Darién jungle in the south of the Central American country towards the United States.
Some 3 million people are eligible to vote. Elections are also being held for a total of 71 parliamentary seats and almost 800 local offices.
The constitution prohibits the direct re-election of the incumbent.
Among the eight presidential candidates are José Gabriel Carrizo from the governing PRD party, former President Martín Torrijos, the former consul in Washington, Ricardo Lombana, and the former Minister for the Panama Canal, Rómulo Roux.
The winner will be determined by a simple majority in a single ballot and will take office as head of state and prime minister on July 1.
Mulino (64), a former foreign, security and justice minister, was nominated as a replacement candidate for right-wing populist Martinelli.
Martinelli was excluded from the race after being convicted of money laundering and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
He was granted asylum by Nicaragua and has been staying in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama since March.
