Two Dead Amid Protests in Nicaragua After Allegations of Voting Irregularities

By Karla E General
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - At least two people have been killed and six others injured in Nicaragua in the days following the Sunday election of new representatives in 146 municipalities.  Official election results have placed 94 mayorships in Sandinista hands, with 46 going to the opposition party, the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). With the majority of votes now being counted in favor of the Sandinista party, protests erupted on Monday between Sandinistas and supporters of the opposition party, the PLC.

Nicaragua's police chief Aminta Granera dispatched anti-riot forces to the streets of Managua on Monday to contain the violent clashes between supporters and opponents of President Daniel Ortega. Opponents of Ortega's Sandinista government are claiming the municipal elections were rigged by Ortega's government.

Nicaraguan people prepare to throw stones in a demonstration to support opposition candidate Eduardo Montealegre who rejected municipal poll results by the Electoral Supreme Council. (Xinhua Photo)

Ortega has been accused of manipulating the elections and has prevented at least two groups from being observers at polling places, including the Nicaraguan civic group Ethics and Transparency, which reported a 32 percent rate of irregularities at the polling places it was able to monitor. The Organization of American States (OAS) and U.S. State Department have also denounced Ortega's ban of OAS observers from Nicaraguan polling stations: "Unfortunately the Supreme Electoral Council's decision to not accredit credible domestic and international election observers has made it difficult to properly assess the conduct of the election...We urge the government of Nicaragua to ensure that the official election results accurately reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people" - Robert Wood, U.S. State Department spokesman.

Ortega, dismissing the allegations of fraud against his government, stated that election observers were rightly rejected from the political process "because they are financed by outside powers."

The PLC will likely contest the results in court.

For more information, please see:

The Associated Press - Nicaraguan Opposition Demands Election Review - 11 November 2008

BBC News - Nicaragua Election Clash 'Deaths' - 11 November 2008

Bloomberg - Nicaragua Election Results Provoke Clashes in Managua - 11 November 2008