PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Preliminary election results Sunday declared Martin Torrijos, the son of a former dictator, the winner of the nation's first presidential vote since the handover of the Panama Canal and withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 1999.
Torrijos — whose father, Gen. Omar Torrijos, ruled Panama from 1968 until his death in 1981 — defeated ex-president Guillermo Endara with about one-quarter of votes counted, according to the country's Electoral Tribunal.
Torrijos had about 47 percent of votes, and Endara had about 29 percent.
During campaigning, both candidates vowed not to revive the nation's authoritarian past
"Today is a new chapter in the country's history," Torrijos said after hearing from election officials. "We will start with firm actions to fulfill our campaign pledges."