(posted Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m.)- The Sandinista-dominated Supreme Electoral Council’s lack of neutrality and the “deterioration of transparency” in the electoral process left a lot to be desired in Nicaragua’s electoral democracy, according to the EU’s election mission’s report presented in Managua a few minutes ago.
“The elections on Nov. 6 have been a setback to the quality of Nicaragua’s democratic electoral processes due to the lack of transparency and neutrality with which they were administered by the CSE,” the report reads, echoing earlier reports from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the U.S. State Department.
The EU claims the CSE’s lack of independence and kowtowing to the ruling party “generated unfavorable conditions for competition and obstructionism for the opposition.”
The EU noted serious problems in the inscription of poll watchers, cases of pre-election gerrymandering, and the questionable process by which Daniel Ortega’s counter-constitutional candidacy was “legalized.”
“The tendency towards opacity continued to grow as the electoral process advanced,” the EU said.
The EU also noted problems of obstructionism on election day, and criticized the CSE for continuing to fail to publish the final vote results on a poll by poll basis, violating Nicaragua’s electoral law and denying people the right to scrutinize the electoral process.
The EU also criticized the behavior of the Nicaraguan press—especially the government’s official propaganda arm. The EU said the media’s coverage of the electoral process was highly politicized and polarized.
The EU is recommending serious reforms to Nicaragua’s electoral system.
Read full report in tomorrow’s Nicaragua Dispatch
