Opposition win expected in Panama poll
Ricardo Martinelli, 57, of the opposition Alliance for Change, had a double-digit lead in the polls over former housing minister Balbina Herrera of Panama’s governing coalition, which is led by the Democratic Revolutionary Party.
The winner, whose term ends in 2014, will have to guide Panama through the world economic crisis and the $5.25 billion (€3.9bn) expansion of the Panama Canal to increase its capacity and accommodate larger ships.
