Both sides claim victory in Nicaragua elections

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Monday, 11.10.08
Both sides claim victory in Nicaragua elections

BBY FILADELFO ALEMAN
Associated Press
MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Nicaragua's ruling Sandinista party claimed victory Monday in nationwide municipal elections, but rival parties said the early returns were misleading and the U.S. government expressed concern about the vote.

The mayoral elections were seen as a referendum on leftist President Daniel Ortega, whose government has come under fire for barring two opposition parties from the races and police raids against nongovernmental organizations.

The country's Supreme Electoral Council said the leftist Sandinistas were leading in 102 of the 146 mayoral races nationwide, with about 39 percent of votes counted early Monday.

In the capital Managua, former boxing champion Alexis Argüello led with 52.2 percent for the Sandinistas and former Finance Minister Eduardo Montealegre trailed with 45.3 percent for the Liberal Constitutional party with just over 20 percent of votes counted.

Sandinista congressional leader Edwin Castro said the party's own quick count showed it had won in Managua and in 95 to 100 other municipalities, though he acknowledged apparent losses in cities such as Jinotega and Granada.

Montealegre, who lost the 2006 presidential election to Ortega, said he was winning in the capital, and his party said it had won about 60 other mayoral posts. Montealegre said that horn-honking Sandinista car caravans that appeared on Managua streets Monday were ``celebrating their own defeat.''

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/765056.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Nicaragua election clash 'deaths'

At least two people have been killed and six others injured in Nicaragua in post-election violence, according to unconfirmed reports from the country.

There was gunfire as supporters and opponents of the governing left-wing Sandinista party clashed after nationwide municipal elections.

The opposition and monitors alleged voting irregularities.

But President Daniel Ortega, whose party claimed victory based on partial results, denied voter fraud.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7721253.stm

[dipsydoodle]

2. Another link - FSLN Leads Nicaragua Elections

Managua, Nov 10 (Prensa Latina) The governing Sandinista Front for National Liberation (FSLN) leads the municipal elections carried out in 146 of 153 Nicaragua municipalities, according to preliminary reports published by the electoral power Monday.

In accordance with the report read by Roberto Rivas, president of the Electoral Supreme Council, the FSLN is ahead of its main opponent, the Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) in most of the country's regions.

In case of Managua, the most strategic representative, once 7.59 percent of votes were counted, Sandinista candidate, former boxer Alexis Arguello, is 14 points ahead of his PLC rival Eduardo Montealegre.
>
Elections generally took place in peace, with a few isolated outbreaks of violence reported in the capital and the neighboring city of Leon, which were controled by the police.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={FF572CAD-5E80-4FE1-AD38-C40FFD0CA100})&language=EN

edit - if that link doesn't work then use instead ; http://www.plenglish.com/Default.asp

[struggle4progress]

3. L.American observer group endorses Nicaraguan municipal elections

12/11/2008 17:06

Latin American observer group Tikal Protocol has endorsed the Nicaraguan municipal elections, saying they were transparent. Any political party alleging voting fraud must provide evidence, the group's secretary Roberto Cuellar said yesterday. Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) announced Monday that the country's ruling Sandinista Party (FSLN) had won Sunday's elections to 94 municipalities, including the capital Managua ...
According to Cuellar, there had been some incidents during the elections but they did not affect the final results. "What we saw was a slow voting process, we could propose something faster and easier," Cuellar said ... The Tikal Protocol, signed in September 1985 in Guatemala's Tikal city, is composed of officials from electoral tribunals in Latin America. They had been invited by the CSE of Nicaragua to observe the municipal elections. http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/world/userobject1ai3979122.html

[struggle4progress]

4. Nicaragua to review disputed mayoral election

19 hours ago

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Nicaragua's election council agreed Wednesday to a local review of the Managua mayoral election results, but opposition party members who claimed fraud in the balloting demanded that international observers be present ...

Ortega's Sandinistas won the most mayoralties in Sunday's elections. But the opposition Constitutionalist Liberal Party, or PLC, claims there was widespread fraud and has demanded an international review.

Election council president Robert Rivas told foreign diplomats Wednesday that the Sandinistas and the PLC would be invited to review ballot tally sheets in the Managua election, according to a statement from his office ...

Official results indicate former world boxing champion and Sandinista candidate Alexis Arguello won the Managua election, defeating Eduardo Montealegre, a former finance minister who narrowly lost the 2006 presidential race ...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iek6BDolL6-LybD3KljVlvoOqdPAD94DNVVO0