José Raúl Mulino Receives the Credential of Elected President of the Republic.

Marking the first official day of transition between the outgoing and incoming governments, José Raúl Mulino received his credentials as president-elect of Panama, June 3 at the main headquarters of the Electoral Tribunal.  Upon leaving the event, Mulino told the media that he will hold another meeting with President Laurentino Nito Cortizo in which they will discuss security issues.  “Each ministry is already linked to the outgoing minister and the meetings formally begin today,” said Mulino.  The event, a purely protocol event, began with promotional videos prepared by the Electoral Tribunal (TE) that recounted what happened in the elections on May 5.  The room was full and several people had to stand. Mulino appeared calm sitting in the front row next to his wife Maricel Cohen while he watched a video of the official TE call that proclaimed him president-elect a little after 9 pm on May 5. Also appearing in the front row with Mulino’s wife was Marta Linares de Martinelli, wife of former President of the Republic Ricardo Martinelli, founder of Realizing Goals (RM), the political platform that catapulted Mulino to the presidency of the Republic.  Ricardo Martinelli remains in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama since February 7, after he was disqualified from competing in the May 5 elections.