(5 May 2014)
Panama's vice president wins presidential election
2001651
AP TELEVISION
Panama - 05 May 2014
++AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of screen at Panama's Electoral Tribunal showing Vice President Juan Carlos Varela as preliminary winner of the presidential election with 38.99% of the votes and 85.56% analysed
2. Close of screen showing Varela as winner, followed by former Housing Minister Jose Domingo Arias and former Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro
3. Low view of Panama's newly elected President Juan Carlos Varela arriving at Electoral Tribunal with wife Lorena Castillo, UPSOUND: music
4. Varela and Castillo stepping on stage and waving to the public
5. Varela and Pinilla on stage
Celebrations after official results confirm Varela wins the presidential election
2001660
AP TELEVISION
Panama City - 05 May 2014
6. Mid President-elect Juan Carlos Varela and Vice President-elect Isabel de Saint Malo saluting supporters outside Electoral Tribunal building
7. Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli seated next to Electoral Tribunal staff checking results
STORYLINE:
On May 4th 2014 Vice President Juan Carlos Varela pulled off a surprising victory in Panama's presidential election.
With more than 80 percent of ballots counted, the Electoral Tribunal declared Varela the winner.
Varela won the election with 39 percent of the votes, compared to 32 percent for former Housing Minister Jose Domingo Arias, the preferred choice of outgoing president Ricardo Martinelli.
Juan Carlos Navarro, a former mayor of the capital, was in third in the seven-candidate field with 28 percent.
Varela, who takes office on July 1st, thanked the citizens of Panama for giving him "this responsibility" and promised he was going "to run this country very humbly."
He left the 2009 presidential race to throw his conservative Panamenista party's support behind Martinelli in exchange for the vice presidency.
But the political marriage didn't last, and Martinelli dismissed him from an additional role as foreign minister in 2011 for refusing to back a plan for a referendum to allow president's to serve consecutive terms.
Before breaking with Martinelli in 2011, he was the architect of the government's popular "100 for 70" program that provides a 100 US Dollars monthly stipend to Panamanians over age 70 without a pension or retirement benefits.
Since then, Varela has been the president's fiercest critic.
***
Panamanians celebrated the election victory of Vice President Juan Carlos Varela in the presidential election early on May 5th, with outgoing President Ricardo Martinelli accepting the "overwhelming" triumph of the opposition leader.
Hundreds gathered outside Panama City's Electoral Building to celebrate, carrying flags and wearing winning party t-shirts, after Varela pulled off a surprising victory in May 4th's election.
He thwarted an attempt by former ally President Ricardo Martinelli to extend his grip on power by electing a hand-picked successor.
With more than 80 percent of ballots counted, the Electoral Tribunal declared Varela the winner, with 39 per cent of the votes.
He surpassed former Housing Minister Jose Domingo Arias, the preferred choice of Martinelli, who got 32 percent.
Juan Carlos Navarro, a former mayor of the capital, came in third in the seven-candidate field, with 27 per cent.
After the announcement, Martinelli arrived at the Electoral Building to check the results, but said he was "happy because the people had spoken".
Varela, a former Martinelli ally turned rival, will take office on July 1st.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
