MAYORALTY RACE: Gas tanker leads, ideas man trails

 A MAYORALTY election held today would see the present seat holder, Roxana Mendez looking for a new job and PRD party hopper Jose Luis Fabrega, the man with the gas tank in campaign posters, taking over the city reins.

The latest Quantix poll shows Fabrega in the lead with38.4%, Roxana Mendez 33.5% and Jose Isabel Blandon 24.1%.
The political history of Deputy Fabrega has been bumpy, says La Prensa. Before joining the Democratic Revolutionary Party he was involved with three other parties Christian Democratic, Arnulfista and Solidarity and his crowning as the PRD candidate was ensured because of the missteps of his highly favored opponent Bobby Roberto Velázquez.
With Velazquez outside of the ring, he defeated in Balbina Herrera and began his campaign with his bewildering,- slogan – " the man with the gas tank ".
His candidature has a strong and organized party backing, putting him the lead wins in all districts, except 8-9 , where he has convinced onlyonly 29.5 % of the electorate.
The candidacy for re-election of the current Mayor Roxana Mendez has moved in a zig sag line. She gains from being in office and identifiable, nut she was not elected to the post, succeeding the discredited Bosco Vallarino, who was forced out of office by President Ricardo Martinelli, with whom Mendez has close links, including being named in reports on the Italy-Panama alleged bribery scandal.
She began the campaign ahead of her rivals, and then vied vied for second place with Deputy Jose Isabel Blandon before managing to secure her place on the number 2 rung.
Mendez looks unbeatable in the circuit 8-9 Las Cumbres , Ernesto Córdoba and Alcalde Díaz), where 43.7% of respondents plan on giving her the vote. And, within age groups, has a strong appeal among young people aged 18 to 24, where more than 52 % would vote for her, if they go to the polling booths.

Blandon is one of the few candidates to elective office who has not based its campaign on patronage and propaganda, but on ideas and proposals. Says La Prensa. He has also attracted representatives from different sectors of organized civil society.
Blandon, , shows best in circuits 8-7 (San Felipe , El Chorrillo , Santa Ana, Calidonia, Curundú , Ancon, Bella Vista, Betania , Pueblo Nuevo ) and 8-8 ( Rio Abajo , San Francisco , Parque Lefevre, Juan Díaz ), with 30.8% and 31.8% , but even then Fábrega scores with 44.6 % and 40.9 % of the voting intentions respectively. In the 8-10 district Blandon has attracted only 17% of voting intentions.
The Quantix survey did face to face interviews with 848 potential voters in the capital district , between March 7 and 9, with margin a of error of plus or minus . 5 percentage points