The National Assembly is the legislative branch

Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

 of the government of Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

.

Composition

The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral

Unicameralism

In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...

 body.
It is made up of 92 deputies

Chamber of Deputies

Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...

, 90 of whom are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation

Proportional representation

Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

 basis from party lists: 20 nationally, and 70 representing the country's departments

Departments of Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a unitary republic, and for administrative purposes, it is divided into 15 departments and two self-governing regions based on the Spanish model:-Zelaya Department:...

 and autonomous regions.
In addition, the President of the Republic

President of Nicaragua

The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...

 who served the immediately previous presidential term is entitled to sit in the Assembly as a deputy, as is the runner-up in the most recent presidential election. The President and the National Assembly serve concurrent five-year terms.

To be eligible for election to the Assembly, candidates must be (Art. 134, Constitution):

• Nicaraguan nationals. If they have held any other nationality, it must have been renounced at least four years prior to the election.
• In full enjoyment of their political and civic rights.
• At least 21 years old.
• Residents of the country for at least four years prior to the election (exemptions are granted to members of the diplomatic corps and employees of international organisations, and to those recently returned from studying abroad).
• Born in the department or autonomous region they hope to represent, or having resided there for at least two years prior to the election.

The following are disqualified from serving in the Assembly:

• Ministers, vice-ministers, and other members of the cabinet, magistrates and judges, and mayors, unless they resign from those positions at least 12 months prior to the election.
• Ministers of any church or religious organisation, unless they have relinquished their ministry at least 12 months in advance of the election.

Parliamentary groups

The deputies are organized in four Parliamentary Groups (bancadas).

• Sandinista National Liberation Front
  Sandinista National Liberation Front
  The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
  
   (FSLN): 38 deputies
• Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC): 25 deputies
• Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
  Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
  The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance is a political party in Nicaragua. It was started in 2005 by Eduardo Montealegre and other members of the Constitutional Liberal Party who opposed former President of the country Arnoldo Alemán's continued control of the PLC even after he had been found guilty of...
  
   (ALN): 20 deputies
• Sandinista Renovation Movement
  Sandinista Renovation Movement
  The Sandinista Renovation Movement is a Nicaraguan political party founded by dissidents of the Sandinista National Liberation Front on May 18, 1995, on Augusto César Sandino's 100th anniversary...
  
   (MRS): 3 deputies

In addition, four deputies (two from ALN

Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance

The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance is a political party in Nicaragua. It was started in 2005 by Eduardo Montealegre and other members of the Constitutional Liberal Party who opposed former President of the country Arnoldo Alemán's continued control of the PLC even after he had been found guilty of...

 and two from the MRS

Sandinista Renovation Movement

The Sandinista Renovation Movement is a Nicaraguan political party founded by dissidents of the Sandinista National Liberation Front on May 18, 1995, on Augusto César Sandino's 100th anniversary...

) declare themselves as independent and do not belong to any Parliamentary Group.

Other parliamentary bodies

Nicaragua also returns deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament

Central American Parliament

The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City....

.

External links

• National Assembly of Nicaragua (official site, in Spanish)