Leonid Kravchuk vs Ricardo Martinelli

Kravchuk was elected Chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, effectively becoming the head of state of the Ukrainian SSR. He played a key role in the declaration of Ukrainian sovereignty.

Kravchuk, along with Boris Yeltsin and Stanislav Shushkevich, signed the Belavezha Accords, declaring the Soviet Union dissolved and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States. This effectively ended the USSR.

Kravchuk won the first direct presidential election in Ukraine with 61.6% of the vote. He led Ukraine through its early years of independence, focusing on state-building and international recognition.

Kravchuk lost the presidential election to Leonid Kuchma, largely due to economic crisis and dissatisfaction with his leadership. He conceded peacefully, setting a precedent for democratic transition in Ukraine.

Ricardo Martinelli, a wealthy supermarket magnate, won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of the Alliance for Change coalition. His campaign focused on anti-corruption and economic development, and he won with a landslide majority.

Martinelli's presidency oversaw rapid economic growth, major infrastructure projects (including the Panama Metro), and a controversial crackdown on crime. His administration was marked by allegations of authoritarianism, corruption, and nepotism, but also significant public works.

After leaving office, Martinelli faced multiple corruption investigations. In 2015, he fled to the United States but was later extradited to Panama in 2018. He was convicted of money laundering in 2019 and sentenced to prison, though he maintained his innocence.