Social-democrat Laurentino Cortizo is the favourite to win as 2.7 million Panamanians take to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president following a campaign dominated by talk of corruption.
Cortizo, a 66-year-old businessman and cattle rancher, was 10 points clear of his closest challenger, former foreign minister Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party, with polls showing independent Ricardo Lombana a close third.
Sunday's winner will succeed Juan Carlos Varela, who is unable to stand for re-election as Panama's constitution limits presidents to a single five-year term.
Corruption played a significant role in election campaigning in a country struggling to shed its image as a money-laundering paradise following the Panama Papers scandal three years ago.
Equally damaging was the admission by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht that it had paid USD 59 million in bribes in Panama between 2010 and 2014 to secure major public works contracts.
Cortizo, a veteran politician and former agriculture minister known popularly as "Nito," said he wants to "rescue and transform Panama" and "leave a legacy" untainted by corruption.
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"I'm leaning towards Nito Cortizo because of his ability, experience and knowledge, and I think he has all the tools and structure to carry out a large part of what he has proposed," Miguel Carrio, an insurance salesman, told AFP.
The surprise candidate in the race, lawyer and journalist Lombana, has surged in the polls on an anti-corruption ticket, garnering almost 20 per cent of voter intentions, compared to Cortizo's 36 per cent.
Lombana, a former Panamanian consul to Washington, has hit out at the traditional parties, a popular tactic at a time when public confidence in the political establishment has been hit by numerous scandals.
While he may be behind, 45-year-old Lombana could yet win Sunday's election, political scientist Harry Brown told AFP, given that "the context of corruption scandals favors independents."
Speaking to AFP, Dolores De Gracia said she would vote for Lombana "because in truth I'm looking for a change, this country needs a change. I trust him and I hope the corruption will end."
"If our country continues with these corrupt institutions, it will explode," said Blades, predicting that would lead to "violent reactions."
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