Panama polls: Ex-agri minister Laurentino Cortizo claims victory with 33 pct vote

Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo said he won the presidency in Panama's election on Sunday, declaring victory after an unexpectedly tight race that put him less than two points ahead of Romulo Roux, who has not conceded defeat.

The former agriculture minister of the centre-left Democratic Revolution Party had nearly 33 per cent of the vote with more than 93 per cent of votes counted, the election tribunal said.