election

Herrera wins PRD primary

The former ministra de Vivienda defeated 12 other challengers for the ruling party’s nomination.

The primary marked the end of a closely-contested campaign that featured numerous controversies.

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winner: Balbina Herrera emerged victorious from yesterday’s PRD primary, defeating 12 rivals and capturing almost 50 percent of the votes cast.1086052

Music, fireworks and chants of her name greeted Balbina Herrera as she appeared before supporters last night after routing her chief rivals to win the nomination as presidential candidate for the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD).

The former ministra de Vivienda, and the first woman to receive the PRD’s nomination for president, grabbed nearly 50 percent of yesterday’s vote. Panama Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro and Laurentino Cortizo received 39 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

Though long commanded by Herrera and Navarro, a total of 13 candidates vied for the top position of the country’s largest political party. Party forecasts predicted that upward of 669,473 PRD supporters voted at one of 2,054 polling stations.

In her acceptance speech, Herrera asked the crowd to applaud General Omar Torrijos, PRD founder and the person lionized by the party as Panama’s modern founding father. Perhaps not coincidentally, yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the treaty between Torrijos and then U.S. President Jimmy Carter that gave Panama control of the Canal.

“I’m a child of that process,” said Herrera, referring more to her tenure as mayor of the District of San Miguelito, a township General Torrijos established for country’s poor and marginalized after rising to power, than to the agreement which gave Panama control of the Canal in 1999.

Herrera will now face three primary opposition candidates in the general election next May. They are Partido Panameñista candidate Juan Carlos Varela, Cambio Democrático candidate Ricardo Martinelli, who also has the support of the Union Patriótica party, and former president Guillermo Endara, who represents the Vanguardia Moral de la Patria.

In his concession speech, Navarro said that the party should now move forward and unite behind Herrera.

President Martín Torrijos, speaking at Herrera’s post-election rally, said that the country advances when the PRD is in power, and that the opposition parties wish they had the same track record in improving the country.

The PRD is trying to break the cycle that has emerged over the past four elections in which it and the Panameñista party have taken turns occupying the presidential palace.

Near the end of last night’s rally, Navarro showed up and hugged Herrera, bringing cheers of approval from the audience.