Nicaraguan general election, 2011
Encyclopedia
Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Nicaragua
on 6 November 2011.
(( - FSLN) returned to power with Daniel Ortega
as president in 2007 after losing the 1990 general elections
to the National Opposition Union
(UNO) and its candidate Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. This will be the third election (1984, 1990, 2011) that the Sandinista National Liberation Front contested an election being in power.
Although the Constitution forbids re-election, last year the Constitutional Court ruled that President Daniel Ortega could run again.
He faced Fabio Gadea Mantilla
, who was collecting support from opposition forces both to the right and to the center-left of the national political spectrum including the Independent Liberal Party
and the Sandinista Renovation Movement
(MRS).
Another candidate was former President Arnoldo Alemán
, supported by the traditional Constitutionalist Liberal Party ( - PLC) . Alemán was convicted in 2003 for corruption and money laundering.
Miguel Angel García is a leader of the evangelical organization Asamblea de Dios and a former education minister in the government of Enrique Bolaños
. In an interview, García stated that God guided his acceptance of this candidacy and is assuring him he will win with the backing of a million votes.
Vice-President: Elizabeth Rojas
Elizabeth Rojas is an evangelical pastor and the running mate of Miguel Angel García on the APRE ticket.
Arnoldo Alemán was President of Nicaragua
from 1997 to 2002. In the early 1990s he became Mayor of Managua
after serving for two months as a councillor in Managua. He was popular due to his urban renewal
projects which helped spruce up the city, severely damaged and never rebuilt after a 1972 earthquake
. Alemán was constitutionally barred from running for another term, and was succeeded by his vice president, Enrique Bolaños. Allegations emerged that Alemán was concealing massive corruption in his administration. At the end of his presidency, public information about alleged corruption committed under his government became available.
Vice-President: Francisco Aguirre Sacasa
Francisco Aguirre, national secretary of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party, is the running mate of Arnoldo Alemán in the 2011 general election.
Fabio Gadea Mantilla is a radio journalist, writer, and politician. He is owner and co-founder of the news radio station Radio Corporación. He also represents Nicaragua as deputy to the Central American Parliament
and was President of that body in 2004–2005, as well as having been a member of its Commission of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology from 2007 onward.
Vice-President: Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín was the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) vice-presidential candidate in the 2006 general elections
. He finished in fourth place, receiving 6.29% of the votes. Jarquín founded in 1974, together with Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, editor of newspaper La Prensa
, the Democratic Liberation Union (UDEL) in the struggle against the Anastasio Somoza Debayle
regime. Jarquín was head of the Ministry of Foreign Cooperation between 1981-84 and ambassador to Mexico
(1984-88) and to Spain
(1988-1990). In the 1990 elections he gained a seat in the National Assembly
. Jarquín worked as an Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB) official from 1992 to 2005 when he resigned and joined the MRS electoral alliance.
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
President: Enrique Quiñonez
Vice-President: Diana Urbina
Daniel Ortega, coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction
(1979-1985), ascended to the presidency after the 1984 elections. Ortega, general secretary of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), was President of Nicaragua from 1985 to 1990 and presidential candidate of the FSLN in 1990, 1996, 2001 and 2006. In the 2006 general elections, Ortega won with 37.99% of the votes. Daniel Ortega is pulling in first place in the polls.
Vice-President: Omar Halleslevens
Omar Halleslevens, a former Sandinista guerilla fighter, founder of the Sandinista Popular Army
in 1979 and head of the armed forces
between 2005 and 2010 is the vice-presidential candidate of the FSLN. In a poll conducted by M&R in 2009, Hallesleven was the second most popular public figure in the country, only behind Aminta Granera
, the head of the National Police. In the same poll, 73.3% of the public regarded the National Army
as the most trustworthy public institution in the country.
( - APRE) is formed by dissidents of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party
(PC). In the 2006 general elections, APRE contested the elections in alliance with the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
.
, the Conservative Unity Movement (formed by dissidents of the Conservative Party) and the Alcaldes 9 de Noviembre movement (former allies of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party).
(UDC), Christian Unity Movement
(MUC), Popular Conservative Alliance
(APC) and a few smaller organisations of dissidents from the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party and a fraction of members from the Nicaraguan Resistance Party, including members of the PLN, Anastasio Somoza Debayle's Liberal Party.
Consultora Siglo Nuevo
M&R Consultores
, said that its job was hindered in 10 of 52 polling stations and was "worrying. If we had trouble in 10 out of 52 polling stations, that means that in 20 per cent of the sample on which we normally base our assessment, we haven't been able to work as we normally do. That means that we can't say that things went appropriately in 100 per cent of the polling stations."
After 85.2% of the votes were counted, The Electoral Council said that Ortega had 62.69% of the vote and the Liberal Party's Fabio Gadea had 30.96%. They confirmed Ortega's victory on 8 November.
To illustrate the disparity of opinions and statements, below are a series of deviating positions on the election:
Positions Not Recognizing Results:
Local Electoral Observers such as the "Hagamos Democracia" and "Etica and Transparencia" have rejected the electoral results. -Latin American Herald Tribune. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=442638&CategoryId=13303
The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua considered the election not to be transparent. -Univision. http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2011-11-14/episcopado-de-nicaragua-considera-que
The European Union Electoral Observers stated that "the process was led by an electoral system that was not independent and that failed to fulfill its job of transparency and collaboration with all political parties." -Eurasia Review. 11/20/11
http://www.eurasiareview.com/20112011-nicaragua-ortega-tightens-grip-on-power/
The United States coincided with European Union Observers "that the Supreme Electoral Council did not operate in a transparent and impartial manner,”. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-11/u-s-cites-significant-irregularities-in-nicaraguan-elections.html U.S. Cites "Significant Irregularities" in Nicaraguan Elections - Bloomberg
Gadea said that the result was allegedly plagued with vices and "that we suspect that we are in the presence of fraud of unprecedented proportions;" he also added that members of his party should await instructions as "the struggle continues."
Positions Recognizing Results:
The Organization of American States
ratified, that the results of the Nicaraguan general elections of 2011, won by Daniel Ortega Saavedra with more than 62 percent of the vote, corresponded to the count realized by this and other organizations during their electoral observer mission in Nicaragua.
The head of accompanying mission of the European Union
(EU), Luis Yáñez
called the triumph of Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista Front in the Nicaraguan General Elections indubitable and ruled out any possibility of fraud during them.
Rosario Murillo
, Ortega's wife and spokeswoman, said of the win that: "This is the victory of Christianity, socialism and solidarity;" she also repeated Ortega's campaign slogan - "Our promise is to keep building the common good."
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...
on 6 November 2011.
Background
The Sandinista National Liberation FrontSandinista 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) returned to power with Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
as president in 2007 after losing the 1990 general elections
Nicaraguan general election, 1990
A general elections were held in Nicaragua to elect a president and parliament on 25 February 1990.William I. Robinson wrote that "massive foreign interference completely distorted an endogenous political process and undermined the ability of the elections to be a free choice regarding the destiny...
to the National Opposition Union
National Opposition Union
National Opposition Union was a wide-range cartel of opposition parties formed to contest Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega in 1990 election. Its candidate Violeta Chamorro eventually won the race...
(UNO) and its candidate Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. This will be the third election (1984, 1990, 2011) that the Sandinista National Liberation Front contested an election being in power.
Although the Constitution forbids re-election, last year the Constitutional Court ruled that President Daniel Ortega could run again.
He faced Fabio Gadea Mantilla
Fabio Gadea Mantilla
Fabio Gadea Mantilla is a Nicaraguan radio journalist, writer, and politician. He is owner and co-founder of the news radio station Radio Corporación...
, who was collecting support from opposition forces both to the right and to the center-left of the national political spectrum including the Independent Liberal Party
Independent Liberal Party (Nicaragua)
The Independent Liberal Party is a Nicaraguan centre-right political party separated from Somoza's Nationalist Liberal Party in 1944, and formed in 1947. PLI participated in 1984 election, winning 9.6% of vote for President with its candidate Virgilio Godoy...
and the 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).
Another candidate was former President Arnoldo Alemán
Arnoldo Alemán
José Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo was the 81st President of Nicaragua from 10 January 1997 to 10 January 2002.-Biography:Alemán was born in Managua and received his early education at the La Salle institute in Managua...
, supported by the traditional Constitutionalist Liberal Party ( - PLC) . Alemán was convicted in 2003 for corruption and money laundering.
Alliance for the Republic (APRE)
President: Miguel Angel García, then Róger Guevara MenaMiguel Angel García is a leader of the evangelical organization Asamblea de Dios and a former education minister in the government of Enrique Bolaños
Enrique Bolaños
Enrique José Bolaños Geyer was the President of Nicaragua from 10 January 2002 to 10 January 2007. President Bolaños is of Spanish and German heritage and was born in Masaya ....
. In an interview, García stated that God guided his acceptance of this candidacy and is assuring him he will win with the backing of a million votes.
Vice-President: Elizabeth Rojas
Elizabeth Rojas is an evangelical pastor and the running mate of Miguel Angel García on the APRE ticket.
Constitutionalist Liberal Party
President: Arnoldo AlemánArnoldo Alemán was President of Nicaragua
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...
from 1997 to 2002. In the early 1990s he became Mayor of Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
after serving for two months as a councillor in Managua. He was popular due to his urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
projects which helped spruce up the city, severely damaged and never rebuilt after a 1972 earthquake
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 12:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, December 23, 1972 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of about 5 kilometers beneath the centre of the city. Within an hour after the main...
. Alemán was constitutionally barred from running for another term, and was succeeded by his vice president, Enrique Bolaños. Allegations emerged that Alemán was concealing massive corruption in his administration. At the end of his presidency, public information about alleged corruption committed under his government became available.
Vice-President: Francisco Aguirre Sacasa
Francisco Aguirre, national secretary of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party, is the running mate of Arnoldo Alemán in the 2011 general election.
Independent Liberal Party
President: Fabio Gadea MantillaFabio Gadea Mantilla is a radio journalist, writer, and politician. He is owner and co-founder of the news radio station Radio Corporación. He also represents Nicaragua as deputy to the 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....
and was President of that body in 2004–2005, as well as having been a member of its Commission of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology from 2007 onward.
Vice-President: Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín is a Nicaraguan politician. He was the vice presidential running-mate of Herty Lewites, who was the presidential candidate for the MRS Sandinista Renovation Movement in the 2006 elections until his death on July 2, 2006. Edmundo Jarquín became the presidential candidate for the...
Edmundo Jarquín was the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) vice-presidential candidate in the 2006 general elections
Nicaraguan general election, 2006
Nicaragua held a general election on 5 November 2006. The country's voters went to the polls to elect a new President of the Republic and 90 members of the National Assembly, all of whom will serve five-year terms...
. He finished in fourth place, receiving 6.29% of the votes. Jarquín founded in 1974, together with Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, editor of newspaper La Prensa
La Prensa (Managua)
La Prensa is a Nicaraguan newspaper, with offices in the capital Managua. Its current daily circulation is placed at 42,000.-Early years:La Prensa was founded by Pedro Belli, Gavry Rivas and Enrique Belli on March 2, 1926...
, the Democratic Liberation Union (UDEL) in the struggle against the Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
regime. Jarquín was head of the Ministry of Foreign Cooperation between 1981-84 and ambassador to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1984-88) and to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(1988-1990). In the 1990 elections he gained a seat in the National Assembly
National Assembly of Nicaragua
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua.-Composition:The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral body....
. Jarquín worked as an Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
(IDB) official from 1992 to 2005 when he resigned and joined the MRS electoral alliance.
Nicaraguan Liberal AllianceNicaraguan Liberal AllianceThe 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...
President: Enrique QuiñonezVice-President: Diana Urbina
Sandinista National Liberation Front
President: Daniel OrtegaDaniel Ortega, coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction
Junta of National Reconstruction
The Junta of National Reconstruction officially ruled Nicaragua from July 1979 to January 1985, though effective power was in the hands of the Sandinista National Liberation Front's National Directorate....
(1979-1985), ascended to the presidency after the 1984 elections. Ortega, general secretary of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), was President of Nicaragua from 1985 to 1990 and presidential candidate of the FSLN in 1990, 1996, 2001 and 2006. In the 2006 general elections, Ortega won with 37.99% of the votes. Daniel Ortega is pulling in first place in the polls.
Vice-President: Omar Halleslevens
Omar Halleslevens, a former Sandinista guerilla fighter, founder of the Sandinista Popular Army
Sandinista Popular Army
The Sandinista Popular Army was the military established in 1979 by the new Sandinista government to replace the National Guard, following the overthow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle. In post-Sandinista Nicaragua, it has been remolded into the National Army of Nicaragua. Joaquín Cuadra was chief of...
in 1979 and head of the armed forces
Military of Nicaragua
-National Guard 1927-1979:The long years of strife between the liberal and conservative political factions and the existence of private armies led the United States to sponsor the National Guard as an apolitical institution to assume all military and police functions in Nicaragua...
between 2005 and 2010 is the vice-presidential candidate of the FSLN. In a poll conducted by M&R in 2009, Hallesleven was the second most popular public figure in the country, only behind Aminta Granera
Aminta Granera
Aminta Granera was a Nicaraguan Sandinista who fought against the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle in the 1970s. She was training to be a nun when she became a Sandinista....
, the head of the National Police. In the same poll, 73.3% of the public regarded the National Army
Military of Nicaragua
-National Guard 1927-1979:The long years of strife between the liberal and conservative political factions and the existence of private armies led the United States to sponsor the National Guard as an apolitical institution to assume all military and police functions in Nicaragua...
as the most trustworthy public institution in the country.
Alliance for the Republic
The Alliance for the RepublicAlliance for the Republic
The Alliance for the Republic is a right-wing liberal-conservative Nicaraguan political party founded in 2004 by dissident liberals from the Constitutional Liberal Party and the Conservative Party including Enrique Bolaños, who was President of Nicaragua at the time.APRE won 3 major offices in...
( - APRE) is formed by dissidents of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Nicaragua
The Conservative Party is a conservative political party in Nicaragua.The party's colour is green and its emblem is a torch of freedom in a circle. Its slogan is “Dios, Orden, Justicia” , often depicted on the three sides of a triangle.-History:The conservative party is the oldest currently...
(PC). In the 2006 general elections, APRE contested the elections in alliance with the 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...
.
Constitutionalist Liberal Party
The Constitutionalist Liberal Party ( - PLC) is leading the GANA PLC-PC alliance together with the members of the Conservative Party.Independent Liberal Party
The Independent Liberal Party is leading the UNE alliance (Nicaraguan Unity for the Hope - ). The UNE is composed by the Sandinista Renovation Movement, the liberal Vamos con Eduardo and Liberales por un proyecto de nación movements, the Citizens Union for Democracy (an alliance of 14 local non-profits), a faction of the Nicaraguan Resistance PartyNicaraguan Resistance Party
The Nicaraguan Resistance Party is a Nicaraguan political party founded in 1993 by the Contras, the armed opposition to the Sandinista government in the 1980s....
, the Conservative Unity Movement (formed by dissidents of the Conservative Party) and the Alcaldes 9 de Noviembre movement (former allies of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party).
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance ( - ALN) is formed by dissidents of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party (PC).Sandinista National Liberation Front
After the break-up of the FSLN-Convergence alliance in 2005, the FSLN formed the United Nicaragua Triumphs alliance. The allied political forces of the FSLN are; Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka (YATAMA), the indigenous party from Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast, Christian Democratic UnionNicaraguan Christian Democratic Union
The Christian Democratic Union is a Nicaraguan political party founded by the center-left Popular Social Christian Party and the center-right Democratic Party of National Confidence in 1992. As of 2006, the UDC is part of the Sandinista National Liberation Front alliance....
(UDC), Christian Unity Movement
Christian Unity Movement
Christian Unity Movement , was founded by dissidents from the Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path in year 2000. As of 2006, MUC is part of the Sandinista National Liberation Front alliance....
(MUC), Popular Conservative Alliance
Popular Conservative Alliance
The Popular Conservative Alliance is a right-wing conservative Nicaraguan political party. The APC split from the Democratic Conservative Party in 1984 and received legal status in 1989. As of 2006, the APC and its leader, Miriam Argüello, is in alliance with the Sandinista National Liberation...
(APC) and a few smaller organisations of dissidents from the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party and a fraction of members from the Nicaraguan Resistance Party, including members of the PLN, Anastasio Somoza Debayle's Liberal Party.
Presidential election
Cid Gallup| Party | Candidate | January 2011 | May 2011 | September 2011 | October 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSLN | Daniel Ortega | 36% | 38% | 44% | 46% | |
| PLI | Fabio Gadea Mantilla | 17% | 28% | 32% | 34% | |
| PLC | Arnoldo Alemán | 23% | 14% | 13% | 10% | |
| Other | Other parties | N/A | 4% | 1% | 1% | |
| N/A | No answer | 24% | 16% | 10% | 9% | |
Consultora Siglo Nuevo
| Party | Candidate | August 2011 | October 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSLN | Daniel Ortega | 57.1% | 59.6% | |
| PLI | Fabio Gadea Mantilla | 15.8% | 15.0% | |
| PLC | Arnoldo Alemán | 7.3% | 13.1% | |
| Other | Other parties | 1.7% | 0.8% | |
| N/A | No answer | 18.1% | 11.5% | |
M&R Consultores
| Party | Candidate | June 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSLN | Daniel Ortega | 56.5% | |
| PLI | Fabio Gadea Mantilla | 14.1% | |
| PLC | Arnoldo Alemán | 5.8% | |
| Other | Other parties | 1.2% | |
| N/A | No answer | 22.4% | |
Controvesy
The Supreme Court, which has a majority of Sandinista judges, overturned presidential term limits as set by the constitution. Critics said the move could set the stage for Ortega to have the presidency for life. Furthermore, with a commanding majority in the election he could also further constitutional changes to allow for his re-election indefinitely.Election
After the polls closed, the Organisation of American States' observer mission, led by former Argentine foreign minister Dante CaputoDante Caputo
Dante Caputo is an Argentine academic, diplomat and politician, who served as the nation's foreign minister under President Raúl Alfonsín.-Academic activity:...
, said that its job was hindered in 10 of 52 polling stations and was "worrying. If we had trouble in 10 out of 52 polling stations, that means that in 20 per cent of the sample on which we normally base our assessment, we haven't been able to work as we normally do. That means that we can't say that things went appropriately in 100 per cent of the polling stations."
After 85.2% of the votes were counted, The Electoral Council said that Ortega had 62.69% of the vote and the Liberal Party's Fabio Gadea had 30.96%. They confirmed Ortega's victory on 8 November.
Reactions
Reactions have been diverse and not unified on the result of the election. There are as many whom don't recognized the results, as there are those that recognize the results. In Nicaragua and in the international community there is still no agreement about the matter.To illustrate the disparity of opinions and statements, below are a series of deviating positions on the election:
Positions Not Recognizing Results:
Local Electoral Observers such as the "Hagamos Democracia" and "Etica and Transparencia" have rejected the electoral results. -Latin American Herald Tribune. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=442638&CategoryId=13303
The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua considered the election not to be transparent. -Univision. http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2011-11-14/episcopado-de-nicaragua-considera-que
The European Union Electoral Observers stated that "the process was led by an electoral system that was not independent and that failed to fulfill its job of transparency and collaboration with all political parties." -Eurasia Review. 11/20/11
http://www.eurasiareview.com/20112011-nicaragua-ortega-tightens-grip-on-power/
The United States coincided with European Union Observers "that the Supreme Electoral Council did not operate in a transparent and impartial manner,”. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-11/u-s-cites-significant-irregularities-in-nicaraguan-elections.html U.S. Cites "Significant Irregularities" in Nicaraguan Elections - Bloomberg
Gadea said that the result was allegedly plagued with vices and "that we suspect that we are in the presence of fraud of unprecedented proportions;" he also added that members of his party should await instructions as "the struggle continues."
Positions Recognizing Results:
The Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
ratified, that the results of the Nicaraguan general elections of 2011, won by Daniel Ortega Saavedra with more than 62 percent of the vote, corresponded to the count realized by this and other organizations during their electoral observer mission in Nicaragua.
The head of accompanying mission of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), Luis Yáñez
Luis Yañez-Barnuevo
Luis Yáñez-Barnuevo García is a Spanish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, part of the Party of European Socialists...
called the triumph of Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista Front in the Nicaraguan General Elections indubitable and ruled out any possibility of fraud during them.
Rosario Murillo
Rosario Murillo
Rosario Murillo is a Nicaraguan poet and revolutionary who fought in the Sandinista revolution in 1979. She is also the wife of current President Daniel Ortega and is the First Lady of Nicaragua, a title she also held in 1985 when her husband became President 6 years after the Sandinista National...
, Ortega's wife and spokeswoman, said of the win that: "This is the victory of Christianity, socialism and solidarity;" she also repeated Ortega's campaign slogan - "Our promise is to keep building the common good."