PANAMA CITY - Panama's Electoral Tribunal late Sunday declared Jose Raul Mulino, the candidate of the opposition alliance comprised of the Realizing Goals party and Alianza movement, as the winner of the presidential elections after a preliminary count of more than 85 percent of voting stations.

Mulino entered the race as the running mate of former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) but became a candidate in his own right after Martinelli was disqualified from running in March due to a conviction related to money laundering.

On Sunday, the head of the Electoral Tribunal Alfredo Junca confirmed via a video call to Mulino that he was the preliminary winner of the presidential race in the 2024 general elections.

Junca congratulated Mulino and invited him to attend a plenary session of the tribunal on Sunday evening.

Mulino said that in the coming five-year term he was confident in establishing a peaceful, honest, and above all, efficient government that could address the enormous needs of Panamanians.

The former minister of justice and of public security also pledged his commitment to leading a unity government as soon as possible.

With more than 85 percent of polling stations counted, Mulino led the field of eight candidates with 34 percent of the votes, followed by Ricardo Lombana of the Otro Camino movement, with 25 percent of the votes.