international

Election watched closely

While Americans go to the polls today to elect their new president, in Panama most of the country's presidential candidates are waiting to see the election results before weighing in on its impact here.

Cambio Democrático candidate Ricardo Martinelli seems to think that Democrat Barack Obama will win.

“There will be a major change in the United States,” Martinelli said. “I know for sure that Americans do not want continuity.”

Juan Carlos Varela, the candidate for the Partido Panameñista, said that everything indicates that there will be a large participation of young Americans in the election, and that he hopes the same thing happens in Panama.

He added that, whoever wins the presidency should focus on the war against drugs.

Balbina Herrera, of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD), limited her comments to mentioning that she does not have a favorite candidate.

Meanwhile, Foreign Relations Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro said yesterday that, whatever the result is, it should not have an impact on the strengthening of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He added that the government is still optimistic for an early adoption of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, which has been stalled in the Congress of that country.