Panama's former security minister Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday stormed to victory in a presidential poll dominated by his old boss, the popular ex-leader Ricardo Martinelli, who buttressed his campaign despite being holed up in Nicaragua's embassy.

Polling stations open in Chad for a presidential election that will bring transition to a close.

Monday was voting day in Chad, where nearly 8 million voters were eligible to choose their next president, after three years of military rule under Mahamat Idriss Déby. Analysts widely expect the incumbent to win.