Nito Cortizo Panama’s next president

 The Electoral Tribunal (TE) declared  Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo 66,  of the PRD winner of the presidential campaign and president-elect of Panama with a narrow victory over Rómulo Roux, of Democratic Change (CD).

Cortizo received the call soon after 11.30 pm with 95 percent of the votes counted.

 Later, he addressed his followers, at the Vasco Núñez de Balboa convention center, of the Panama hotel.

“I owe it to you and to all the Panamanians, I’m not going to disappoint you, Nito Cortizo will be the first worker in the country,” he told his followers.

He promised to fight corruption, respect the independence of the judiciary and warned that there will be no “untouchable deputies, businessmen or ministers”.

With his victory, Cortizo – businessman and rancher – breaks a streak of two consecutive defeats in the PRD, which last won a presidential election in  2004, with  Martin Torrijos.

He, was part of the Torrijos Cabinet, holding the post of Minister of Agricultural Development from 2004 to 2005, which he resigned due to differences in the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

Cortizo arrives at the presidential palace with José Gabriel Carrizo, 35 vice president.

In his campaign, Cortizo has said that there will be no untouchables in his government and he has tried to distance himself from the leadership of his party, which has deputies  Pedro Miguel González and Benicio Robinson as secretary-general and president of the National Executive Committee (CEN),. He liked to refer to himself as the first presidential candidate of the PRD that is not part of the “dome”, reports La Prensa

He also promised to attend to the  National Commitment to Education; convene a parallel Constituent; reform the public procurement law -to “eliminate discretion and combat corruption” – and revise the Central American trade treaties. Likewise, create the Ministry of Culture and reduce “fat” in the state apparatus, especially in trips abroad and travel expenses., on April 23, it announced that it will promote an “initiative” so that companies accused of corruption cannot tender in the country Cortizo referred to  Odebrecht  as “a company that has polluted the region with machinery to corrupt officials and private companies.”

 The Electoral Tribunal (TE) declared  Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo 66,  of the PRD winner of the presidential campaign and president  elect of Panama with  a narrow victory  over Rómulo Roux , of Democratic Change (CD).

Cortizo received the call aoon after 11.30 pm with 95 percent og the votes counted.

 Later, he addressed his followers, at the Vasco Núñez de Balboa convention center, of the Panama hotel.

“I owe it to you and to all the Panamanians, I’m not going to disappoint you, Nito Cortizo will be the first worker in the country,” he told his followers.

He promised to fight corruption, respect the independence of the judiciary and warned that there will be no “untouchable deputies, businessmen or ministers”.

With his victory, Cortizo – businessman and rancher – breaks a streak of two consecutive defeats in the PRD, which last won  a presidential election ib  2004, with  Martin Torrijos .

He, was part of the Torrijos Cabinet, holding the post of Minister of Agricultural Development from 2004 to 2005, which he resigned due to differences in the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

Cortizo  arrives at the presidential palace  with  José Gabriel Carrizo , 35 as vice president.

In his campaign, Cortizo has said that there will be no untouchables in his government and he  has tried ried to distance himself from the leadership of his party, which has deputies  Pedro Miguel González  and  Benicio Robinson  as secretary general and president of  the National Executive Committee (CEN) ,. He liked to refer to himself as the first presidential candidate of the PRD that is not part of the “dome”, reports La Prensa

He also promised to attend to the  National Commitment to Education ; convene a parallel Constituent; reform the public procurement law -to “eliminate discretion and combat corruption” – and revise the Central American trade treaties. Likewise, create the Ministry of Culture and reduce “fat” in the state apparatus, especially in trips abroad and travel expenses., on April 23, it announced that it will promote an “initiative” so that companies accused of corruption cannot tender in the country Cortizo referred to  Odebrecht  as “a company that has polluted the region with machinery to corrupt officials and private companies.”