November 9^th, 2008: The Municipal Elections

Last November, two parties competed to obtain power, especially in the two most important municipalities: the capital Managua, home to 2 million people, and the northwestern city of León. (How to steal an election; Nicaragua) The end result was a contested vote between the Sandinista Party (FSLN) and the opposition party (PLC). Before the elections, Managua polls showed that PLC candidate Montealegre, a Harvard graduate, was ahead of FSLN candidate Alexis Arguello, formerly a world-champion boxer.

However, workers at the polling stations have stated that the electoral council only gave voter identity cards to FSLN supporters. Many PLC voters were unable to obtain the necessary cards to vote, and their credentials were not returned to them. PLC members obtained, after much difficulty, the official voting tally from polling stations, some of which closed early, and proved that Montealegre won in Managua. Nonetheless, the official results announced that Arguello had won 51% and Montealegre 46%. (How to steal and election; Nicaragua) Last year, a poll showed that only 21% of the survey’s participants approved of Ortega as president. (Inglorious; Nicaragua)

Not only did the Sandinista government send rioters to violently stop protestors demanding a fair election, but they also threatened the press and other political figures that have always fought for justice. Sofia Montenegro, leader of the Autonomous Women’s Movement (AWM), said “He is losing touch with reality. He and his wife now live in a fairy tale.” (Booth) Efforts to get international observers to recount all of the votes have been blocked due to Ortega’s control over the situation, and instead the same votes were simply recounted. Today, the Sandinistas have municipal power in both León and Managua.

Works Cited:

• Arostegui, Martin. “Ortega pitches ties with Chavez; Claims ‘sovereignty’ on islands.” The Washington Times. 8 February 2008.

• Booth, William. “Democracy in Nicaragua in Peril, Ortega Critics Say.” The Washington Post. 20 November 2008.

• Caroit, Jean-Michel. “Nicaragua elections municipales; Le pouvoir sandiniste intensifie ses attaques contre l’opposition.” Le Monde. 21 October 2008.

• Casas-Zamora, Kevin. “Don’t let Nicaragua’s Ortega become a Mugabe.” Christian Science Monitor. 30 December 2008.

• Glassman, James. “Decline of Ortega’s Nicaragua; U.S. missing a chance to mend fences in Latin America?.” The Washington Times. 4 March 2009.

• “How to steal and election; Nicaragua.” The Economist. 15 November 2008.

• “Inglorious; Nicaragua.” The Economist. 7 June 2008.

• Lacey, Mark. “Sandinista Fervor Turns Sour for Former Comrades of Nicaragua’s President.” The New York Times. 24 November 2008.

• “Nicaragua vows to be “staunchest supporter” of Taiwan’s UN bid.” British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 September 2008.

• “Nicaraguan president speaks of need for “unity”, “justice” on arrival in Iran.” British Broadcasting Corporation. 10 June 2007.

• “Physical Map of Central America.” Physical Map of Central America. 2009. 24 March 2009. <http://geology.com/world/central-america-physical-map.shtml>.

• Ribando Seelke, Clare. “Nicaragua: Political Situation and U.S. Relations.” 17 March 2008. <http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:jbKNIyv4mmQJ:fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS22836.pdf+nicaragua+relationship+with+the+US&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>.

• Rosenberg, Tina. “The Many Stories of Carlos Fernando Chamorro.” The New York Times. 22 March 2009.

• “Russia: Nicaragua’s recognition of Abkhazia, South Ossetia seen as “trial balloon”.” British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 September 2008.

• Schmidt, Blake. “Mayor fights turns violent in Managua.” The Washington Times. 19 November 2008.

• “Tearing up the rules; Nicaragua.” The Economist. 16 August 2008.

• “Trading Arguments: Central America.” The Economist. 14 July 2007.

• “‘Twixt Washington and Caracas; Nicaragua.” The Economist. 13 Jan 2007.