Supermarket magnate wins Panama presidential vote

Source: Associated Press

PANAMA CITY – Conservative supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli won Panama's presidential elections in a landslide Sunday, promising to guide the country through the world economic crisis and an ambitious expansion of the Panama Canal.

The win by Martinelli, of the opposition Alliance for Change, marked a rare center-right election triumph in a region that has seen a wave of leftist leaders.

Electoral Tribunal President Erasmo Pinilla called Martinelli, 57, the "indisputable winner" after preliminarty results showed him with 61 percent support and ruling-party candidate Balbina Herrera with 37 percent. Former President Guillermo Endara was a distant third. The winner was announced with 87 percent of the votes counted.

The U.S.-educated, pro-business Martinelli, who owns Panama's largest supermarket chain, said he would work for a national unity government because "that is what the country is counting on."

"Tomorrow we will all be Panamamians and we will change this country so that it has a good health system, good education, good transportation and good security," he said.

Herrera, a 54-year-old former housing minister under President Martin Torrijos, conceded defeat late Sunday and promised to respect the results.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_panama_election

I offer as my proof when an oil baron become our President. Now that he is not, check out those gas prices.