If Martinelli Doesn’t Run for President in Panama, Alain Cedeño is Willing to Run

Alain Cedeño, a congressman from the Realizando Metas party, is willing to participate in the primaries and take on a presidential project if former president Ricardo Martinelli’s candidacy does not materialize.  Alain Cedeño says he is willing to take up the mantle if Ricardo Martinelli abandons his presidential aspirations in the next election campaign for the Realizando Metas party.  “Yes, Martinelli is running, I’m not running because Ricardo has a name, he’s very important, he’s the lucky charm of our party and he’s a person with very high acceptance in the country and it’s difficult to go against that…”, the congressman stated. 

He pointed out that all the major parties in Panama have to hold primaries and that many candidates do not have the votes to become president, and in that sense he said that in his district they contributed 80,000 votes to the current president, José Raúl Mulino.  “I was the one who gave the most votes for Mulino to be president; in my district, 80,000 votes were cast, we won a seat in the legislature and a community board,” he told news media sources.  Meanwhile, the Alianza party contributed 9,000 votes to the total.  Furthermore, he emphasized that he has the “ability to lead the country for the benefit of the people”; that the idea that “if you are not of high birth, you cannot be president” must end.  He stressed that other alternatives must be sought and the paradigm that only the upper class can aspire to the presidential seat must be broken.