Panama, the Central American nation at the crossroads of international trade and migration, will elect a new president on Sunday after a campaign season mired in legal uncertainty.

Panamanians vote in presidential elections Sunday from a crowded field of eight candidates, with the protege of a graft-convicted ex-head of state in the lead.On Friday, Panamanian salsa legend and activist Ruben Blades called his compatriots not to vote for a man he described as "a frontman for a confirmed crook.

Panama votes Sunday in a presidential election with the frontrunner's participation confirmed after a last-minute court decision validated his run against seven other contenders.

A former president from a prestigious family, a strong-willed political veteran, a rocker ex-consul and a tattooed ex-foreign minister are among the candidates competing to become Panama's next president.