(posted Jan. 31, 6:15 p.m.)-The Organization of American States’ new representative to Nicaragua today confirmed that the President Daniel Ortega won the Nov. 6 presidential elections with 59.8% of the vote, according to the hemispheric body’s parallel fast count on election day.
The official vote count by the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) gave Ortega victory with 62%.
“Yes there was a winner, President Daniel Ortega, according to the OAS’s fast count,” said OAS country representative Ricardo Seitenfus, of Brazil.
Seitenfus’ confirmation of the OAS’ fast-count results effectively deflates opposition candidate Fabio Gadea’s claim to victory, although that argument had already pretty much fallen apart on its own.
Seitenfus also repeated the OAS’ concerns about the partisan and ineffective nature of Nicaragua’s Sandinista-controlled Supreme Electoral Council (CSE)
“Lamentably, the entire electoral system of this country is partisan-controlled,” he said. “An electoral system cannot be both judge and jury.”
Seitenfus also criticized the CSE’s ham-fisted management of state identification IDs.
Along Nicaragua’s traditional partisan divide, the opposition media reported on Seitenfus’ comments without mentioning the parallel vote count, while the Sandinista media reported only on the fast-count results, while ignoring all criticism of their disgraced electoral system.
Meanwhile, international reaction to Ortega’s reelection is still developing amid growing call to action in Washington, D.C..
The “Nicaragua issue” will again be put to test on Capitol Hill next Tuesday, Feb. 7, during the congressional confirmation hearing on Ambassador Phyllis Powers’ appointment to Nicaragua.
The United States has been without an ambassador in Managua since last July.
Such a desperate need to be approved proves on top of all the cheating the fact that they know we all know they are nothing but a bunch of low life criminals.
As if we still need to convince anybody of the above.
The end of Ortega and his mafia started the day the election they stole on Nov 6/2011, time will only evolve into proving this, that’s all.
This is absurd, because fast count after the fraude, what does this prove? Double and triple voting, buying the ALN fiscals, in some places putting up boxes already full, in other places giving two, three and more ballotts to “their’ voters etc. etc., hundreds of examples. So OAS is out of its mind, it seems. Maybe they paid Seitenfuff?
Thanks Mr. Kaufmann
Such a logical observation!
Do the Ortega people still thinks the West has to prove something?
Have they not realized the world (including them) knows it is faith acompli they stole the elections?
Wouldn’t be more elegant if the just say: so what?
In any event, the end of Ortega started on Nov 6 2011, what a pity. Nothing like a good old fashioned banana dictatorship…
Common guys! Give up the spin zone….The Sandinistas won and the majority of Nicaraguans approve. Move on and prepare for the next election. With this type of rhetoric no wonder the” right” lost big time. People are more aware these days.