(posted Nov. 5, 3:50 p.m.)- The U.S. government is expressing concern about Nicaragua’s municipal elections last Sunday, lamenting that the polling process did not demonstrate necessary levels of transparency to guarantee Nicaraguans or the international community that the process reflected the will of the Nicaraguan people.
“There have been multiple complaints of the partisan manner in which the Supreme Electoral Council conducted the electoral process prior to the vote and during election day in a way that favors the government party,” according to a statement from State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “Among the irregularities that were observed on election day were the denial of citizens who wanted to vote, cases of violating the right to a secret vote, and complaints of people who were allowed to vote more than once. These practices have characterized various elections in Nicaragua recently.”
The State Department communiqué says, “We insist once again that the Government of Nicaragua put into practice the recommendations proposed by the electoral observation missions form the UE and OAS following the polemic presidential elections of 2011 and in compliance with (Nicaragua’s) pledge to uphold a representative democracy” as stipulated in the Democratic Charter of the OAS.
Within 24 hours, protestations against the Nicaragua election process? There are also quite a few complaints about the irregularities occurring in Ohio and Florida. As a guest in this country I will not criticize the local politics. As a US taxpayer, I hope things continue to improve after the election Tuesday, regardless of who wins.
We should be more worried about our own election…the votes for Romney that are coming up Obama in several states, the deceased votes that also are for obama,..and most of all why are we allowing the UN to observe???? we are a soverign nation…they have no right nor reason to be anywhere near our vote!
Out of curiosity, how many other countries issued any statements at all regarding the elections?
Maybe lots of countries did and the US is the only one mentioned because of all the US citizens who read the ND, but if the US was more or less alone in issuing a statement, it has the whiff of US arrogance, doesn’t it?
Did Canada issue a statement?
I have news for you Victoria Nuland. The municipal election results DUE reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people.
Darrell is right about our elections not being squeeky clean. On the news this morning in Oregon. A woman in the Portland Oregon election department was found to be marking in ballots that were left blank in certain local races. Between that and our past “hanging chads” I dont think the US can realy say that our election process is beyond reproach. I am sad that 1 in 5 Nicaraguans were excluded from the polls, but those in glass houses……… Just say’n…
Hay contradicción de los hechos reales en La Paz Centro, Matiguas, Dario y otros lugares, y los reportes sobre las elecciones municipales de Nicaragua de parate de observadores de organizaciones como la OEA, IPADE , el Grupo Etica y Transparencia. Sin embargo los muertos por la violencia en los lugares mencionados no se pueden ocultar ni las imágenes de los videos donde se ve pueden ver a policías antimotines armados con bombas lacrimógenas y fusiles disparando en contra de grupos armados con piedras y los conocidos morteros artesanales que los vemos a diario en Managua. Asi, paso en tiempo de Somoza y asi esta pasando en el tiempo del presidente, Sr. Daniel Ortega. Si estas instituciones como Etica y Transparencia no resisten vaivenes y ceden ante las amenazas seria mejor se apartaran antes de ceder ante amenazas y torcer su verdadera opinión.
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THE OAS has given the following positive statement on their observation of the Nicaraguan electoral process.
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-399/12