(Click to enlarge)
Population: 5,675,356
Size: 129,494 square kilometers
Life expectancy: 70 years
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white), 69 percent; white; African origin; Amerindian
Religions: Roman Catholic, 85 percent; Protestant
Languages: Spanish (official), English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Population below poverty line: 48 percent
Average annual income: $1,000 USD
(Source: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook 2008; The World Bank 2006)
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Nicaragua
The people of Nicaragua have been struggling to consolidate democracy in the nation after years of rule by dictators. The Carter Center, invited by the Nicaraguan government, has observed elections in the country since 1989 to promote free and fair elections. In 1990, Nicaragua experienced the nation's first peaceful transference of government, building hope for a future in which the voice and will of the people no longer would be ignored.
Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter
The Carter Center visited Nicaragua again in 2005, when Nicaraguans were divided over a controversial constitutional reform, which was passed by the legislature but rejected by the president. Accompanied by the former foreign minister of Argentina, Dante Caputo, and the former minister for human rights in Mexico, Mariclaire Acosta, Carter Center staff experts on Nicaragua visited the capital to assess the crisis and encourage dialogue. These members of the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter reported their findings to the Organization of American States, encouraging that body to assist Nicaragua in overcoming its tense divide, and an OAS mission was undertaken.
Monitoring Elections
A decade of war and economic disintegration created deep divisions in the 1980s among Nicaraguans who supported the Sandinistas and those who supported their opposition. The Sandinista government's failed socialist policies had more than quadrupled the country's foreign debt and failed to lift Nicaraguans out of poverty. As the 1990 presidential election grew close, the international community was leery of another Sandinista win, and tensions within Nicaragua increased. In turn, the government and electoral authorities welcomed international election observers, including The Carter Center, to help ensure an election that represented the will of the people.
Opposition candidate Violeta Barrios de Chamorro emerged as the president-elect after a campaign in which she and President Daniel Ortega were tied in opinion polls. The Center found the election to be fair and open, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter brokered an agreement for a transition of power.
President Carter wrote of this election: "For the first time in Nicaragua, power was transferred peacefully from the incumbent to a rival after a free and fair election. And for the first time in the world, a revolutionary regime that came to power through armed struggle turned over control of the government to its adversaries as a result of voters' choice. The elections in Nicaragua were truly a historic moment for democracy."
The Center observed elections again in October 1996 – a critical test of the new democracy. Despite considerable administrative challenges and disputes over election results, the process concluded peacefully with the election of Arnoldo Aleman as Nicaragua's new president. The Center's observers were impressed with the high voter turnout and the many party poll-watchers.
In late 2001, President Aleman's term in office was coming to a close. He was one of the most unpopular presidents in Nicaragua's history, dogged by widespread accusations of corruption during his term. Elections were set for November with Aleman's vice president, Enrique Bolanos, running against former President Daniel Ortega. Bolanos sought to distance himself from Aleman during his campaign by pledging to clean up government and prosecute offenders. Ortega vowed his belief in a market economy after his failed socialist policies in the late 1980s left the economy in shambles.
At the invitation of the Supreme Electoral Council, or CSE, The Carter Center undertook a three-part election observation mission in fall 2000. In September, a small study team evaluated preparations for Nicaragua's municipal elections, then observed the Nov. 5 municipal elections as well as preparations for the presidential election the following year. The team found electoral procedures, overall, met international standards but cited flaws in voter registration, low turnout, slow progress in reporting results, and serious election problems in the North Atlantic coast's indigenous region.
The Center commended the presence of party poll-watchers at almost all polling sites and noted only minor claims of irregularities had been made.
1. Correct inaccurate voter lists prior to the 2001 national elections
2. Better inform voters about where they should vote
3. Distribute permanent voter identification cards prior to the election and
4. Refine counting procedures.
The Center then observed the presidential and legislative election in 2001.
The Center's delegation, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Costa Rica President Oscar Arias, found the November election to be generally smooth and fair, but behind-the-scenes politicking to determine party eligibility to be on the ballot revealed institutional weaknesses in the decade-old democracy. Observers saw that Nicaragua needs to refine its political institutions, including the CSE.
"The CSE is to be commended on a free election, but it has challenges to overcome for future elections," said Dr. Shelley McConnell, senior associate director of the Center's Americas Program. "Partisan politics within the CSE hampered the effectiveness of election procedures."
A year later, President Bolanos' anti-corruption efforts bore results. Former President Aleman was convicted of looting almost $100 million in public funds. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for funneling the money into his personal accounts overseas. President Bolanos said stealing from a country as poor as Nicaragua – the Western Hemisphere's second –poorest country, where 80 percent of the population lives in poverty - was particularly contemptible and pledged to continue to fight corruption in government.
The Carter Center returned to Nicaragua to observe the 2006 election process at the invitation of the CSE and the government of Nicaragua. This was the fourth national Nicaraguan election observed by The Carter Center.
The 62-member international observation delegation was led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Panama President Ardito Barletta, and former Peru President Alejandro Toledo.
The delegation found the election climate to be competitive and the election administration to be adequate, with improvements over past electoral processes. The 2006 elections had five political parties competing energetically in a campaign free of violence. The military and police played a positive and nonpartisan role supporting the elections.
Leading into the elections, The Carter Center had long-term concerns about the civil registry and the adequacy of the national voters' list. The delegation noted that these issues should be addressed after the current election process concluded. The Center also had initial concerns about the possible disqualification of political candidates and was pleased that this did not occur. Nonetheless, distrust of the electoral authorities by parties not represented on the Supreme Electoral Council, and even distrust between the Sandinista National Liberation Front and Constitutionalist Liberal Party members on that body, increased electoral tensions and sometimes temporarily impeded proper functioning of the electoral system.
In the week leading up to the election, The Carter Center voiced concern about reports of political bias in the distribution of voting documents, including cedulas and documentos supletorios. Both The Carter Center and other international and domestic observers noted evidence of this phenomenon in several places in the country. A number of voting documents were not delivered prior to election day, possibly denying some citizens the opportunity to vote.
Importantly, despite these and other concerns, five presidential candidates went forward with the election, all persuaded that they stood a chance of winning under the current rules and conditions.
Carter Center observers visited 412 polling stations on election day, reporting very few significant problems either in the opening, the voting process, or the closing and vote count. Almost all the polling stations had the materials they needed, and the voting proceeded calmly and for the most part without interruption. Very few citizens who came to vote were unable to do so. Party poll-watchers from at least three parties were present at more than 96 percent of the tables visited, and those poll-watchers all received copies of the tally sheets. Roughly half of the second members of the voting boards administering the polling stations visited were nominated by the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN-PC), with the remainder divided between the Sandinista Renewal Movement (MRS) and the Alternative for Change. Together, the findings on party poll-watchers and second members suggest that a mix of parties was able to organize effectively.
FSLN leader Daniel Ortega won an undisputed victory, although with a plurality rather than a majority of the vote. Four parties gained representation in the legislature, and the results of only one legislative race were questioned. The results were recognized by the international community, and the new president and legislature were inaugurated in January 2007.
Resolving Property Disputes
In the mid-1990s, the Carter Center's Americas Program staff traveled to Nicaragua to analyze the land and property rights disputes and explore resolutions to them. With the U. N. Development Programme, the Americas Program sponsored a forum in Nicaragua on property issues, co-chaired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Belize Prime Minister George Price. Participants, including national political officials, former property owners, current occupants, and foreign ambassadors, reached consensus on a few key reforms. At President Carter's recommendation, a follow-up commission met to explore carrying out these and other reforms and made recommendations to the National Assembly, which subsequently passed a property law reflecting the spirit of the conference.
Offering Humanitarian Support
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, visited Managua in November 1998 to call international attention to the suffering and humanitarian need caused by Hurricane Mitch. Following a flight over Nicaragua's disaster zone, President Carter told reporters he predicted the recovery would be lengthy and urged lenders to forgive the country's foreign debts and those of neighboring Honduras.
Urging a Moratorium on Arms Sales
Although Latin America spends relatively less on defense than most other regions, expenditures on expensive weapons systems divert scarce foreign exchange from more effective investments, including education. They also compel neighbors to spend more on defense and, by doing so, generate international tensions. Concerned about an arms race in Latin America, the Carter Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas urged governments in the region to pause before embarking on major arms purchases. Between April 1997 and March 1998, 28 current heads of government and 14 former heads of government signed a written pledge to accept a moratorium of two years on purchasing sophisticated weapons. Among the signatories was Nicaragua President Arnoldo Aleman.
Updated March 2007
Election Reports
Final report of the Carter Center's election observation team on the 2006 Nicaragua elections.
Final report of the Carter Center's election observation team on the 2006 Nicaragua elections.
As The Carter Center continues its observation of the electoral process in Nicaragua, we note that the Supreme Electoral Council has reported the results for 92 percent of the polling stations. These results indicate that Daniel Ortega has a clear lead of 9 percent over the second-place finisher Eduardo Montealegre in the presidential race.
The purpose of this trip was for The Carter Center to monitor our fourth Nicaraguan election. The first was in 1990, while the U.S. Contra War was still being waged. The Carter Center has had six delegations of pre-election observers in the country this year and seven long-term observers since September. A number of our major suggestions have been adopted by the Supreme Electoral Council.
Once again we wish to thank the Supreme Electoral Council and the government of Nicaragua for their kind invitations to observe the 2006 election process. This is the fourth national election The Carter Center has observed in Nicaragua since 1990, and each experience brings fresh lessons.
This is the fourth national election that The Carter Center has observed in Nicaragua, beginning in 1990. Your country has always held a special place in my heart. It is a pleasure to be here in the company of my two co-leaders, the former president of Panama, Nicolás Ardito Barletta, and the former president of Peru, Alejandro Toledo.
The Carter Center announced today that it has named former Peru President Alejandro Toledo and former Panama President Nicolás Ardito Barletta to join former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as co-leaders in observing Nicaragua's national elections on Nov. 5, 2006. The Carter Center delegation will also include 50 international observers deployed throughout the country.
Having accompanied Nicaragua's election process throughout 2006 and monitored it intensively since September, The Carter Center takes this occasion to express its views concerning the progress of the preparations for the Nov. 5 balloting.
The Carter Center fielded its first election observers in Nicaragua on Sept. 8, 2006, sending seven observers to begin monitoring the election process. The observers received a two-day training at the Carter Center's Managua office before deploying to Esteli, Leon, Matagalpa, Granada, Juigalpa, Bluefields, and Puerto Cabezas. The Center will also initiate observation of the Department of Managua from its office in the capital this week.
Rosalynn and I have spent three days in Managua learning about the election process, accompanied by the Director of the Americas Program at The Carter Center Dr. Jennifer McCoy, Senior Associate Director Dr. Shelley McConnell, our new Chief of Mission for the Nicaraguan Elections Dr. Jaime Aparicio, and our political analyst David Dye.
The Carter Center sent a group of 11 experts from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States to Nicaragua for the purpose of observing citizen verification of the voting rolls during the weekend of June 17 and 18, 2006.
En los próximos días Los ciudadanos nicaragüenses tendrán la oportunidad de participar en un proceso de verificación en el que confirmarán personalmente que sus nombres se incluyen en el padrón electoral de las elecciones de noviembre.
The Carter Center is pleased to announce that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will visit Nicaragua from July 3-5, 2006, to assess the progress of preparations for that country's national election on Nov. 5. During his stay, President Carter will meet with Nicaragua's electoral and governmental authorities to discuss possible modalities for a Carter Center election observation mission. He will also meet with the entire spectrum of participants in this year's election, along with Nicaraguan civil society organizations and both national and international observers.
In response to an invitation extended by the seven members of the Supreme Electoral Council, The Carter Center announced today that it is sending a small contingent of observers to the regional elections on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, scheduled for March 5, 2006. The elections for Atlantic Coast regional councils are critically important for strengthening the process of regional autonomy and therefore of democracy and are of importance to all Nicaraguans.
En enero de 2006, El Centro Carter recibió del Presidente del Consejo Supremo Electoral, el Dr. Roberto Rivas, una invitación para observar las elecciones regionales y nacionales a realizarse en Nicaragua en los meses de marzo y noviembre del 2006. In January 2006, The Carter Center received from the president of the Supreme Electoral Council, Dr. Roberto Rivas, an invitation to observe Nicaragua's regional and national elections to be held in March and November 2006 respectively.
Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council invited The Carter Center to monitor the 2001 national elections, as it had done in 1990 and 1996.
El Centro Carter tiene una amplisima experiencia en la observacion de elecciones en todo el mundo, sin embargo la profundidad y la duracion de nuestro compromiso con Nicaragua hacen de ese pais un caso especial.
Nicaraguans went to the polls in large numbers Sunday, Nov. 4 to elect a new president and vice president, members of the National Assembly, and representatives to the Central American Parliament. The Carter Center monitored the election at the invitation of the Supreme Electoral Council and with the encouragement of political parties and civic groups.
El 4 de noviembre, los nicaragüenses acudieron masivamente a las urnas para elegir un nuevo presidente y vice presidente, diputados de la Asamblea Nacional y representantes ante el Parlamento Centroamericano. El Centro Carter monitoreó las elecciones de 2001 respondiendo a una invitación del Consejo Supremo Electoral y alentado por los partidos políticos y grupos cívicos.
The Carter Center is here for the third time to observe national elections, and the Nicaraguan people have always welcomed us. We have witnessed the growth of democracy in this beautiful country.
Por tercera vez el Centro Carter se encuentra aquí para observar unas elecciones nacionales. En cada ocasión, el pueblo nicaragüense nos ha ofrecido una cálida bienvenida. Hemos sido testigos del crecimiento de la democracia en este hermoso país.
As the election campaign comes to a close and Nicaraguans enter a period of reflection in preparation for voting Sunday, The Carter Center wishes to report the following electoral developments.
Ahora que llega a su fin la campana electoral y los nicaragüenses entran a un periodo de reflexión antes de emitir su este domingo, el Centro Carter desea reportar lo siguiente acerca de los mas recientes acontecimientos relacionados con las elecciones:
The Carter Center has been invited by the Supreme Electoral Council to observe the national elections in Nicaragua scheduled for Nov. 4, 2001. It has organized an election observation mission and in July sent a first delegation to Managua to undertake an initial evaluation of the electoral process.
In this document, The Carter Center wishes to communicate to the Nicaraguan public its point of view about recent events in the 2001 electoral process and signal some themes that our second pre-election delegations will explore with the election authorities and political parties during its visit beginning the 27th of this month.
A través de este medio, el Centro Carter desea comunicar al público nicaragüense sus puntos de vista sobre los últimos acontecimientos del proceso electoral 2001, y señalar algunos temas que nuestra segunda delegación pre-electoral va a explorar con las autoridades electorales y los partidos politicos en su visita el 27 del presente mes.
On May 18, 2001, Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council extended an invitation to The Carter Center to observe the November 2001 national elections in which the Nicaraguan people will select a president, vice president, deputies to the legislature, and representatives to the Central American Parliament.
El 18 de mayo de 2001 el Consejo Supremo Electoral de Nicaragua extendió al Centro Carter una invitación para observar las elecciones nacionales de noviembre de 2001, en las cuales el pueblo nicaragüense elegirá un presidente, un vicepresidente, diputados legislativos, y representantes ante el Parlamento Centroamericano. El Centro Carter aceptó la invitación, y organizó una delegación pre-electoral que visitó Nicaragua durante los días 16-22 de julio de 2001 para evaluar el clima político así como los preparativos para la votación.
Responding to an invitation from Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), The Carter Center organized a three-part election observation mission to that country in the fall of 2000.
The Carter Center has followed election processes in Nicaragua since 1989, including the January 2000 reform of the electoral law and subsequent reorganization of the Supreme Electoral Council.
El Centro Carter ha seguido de cerca el desarrollo de los procesos electorales en Nicaragua desde 1989, incluyendo la reforma de la ley electoral EN enero del 2000 y la subsiguiente reorganización del Consejo Supremo Electoral.
At the invitation of the Supreme Electoral Council and the Nicaraguan political parties, the Carter Center's Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government, along with the OAS and several international NGOs, observed the Oct. 20, 1996, elections.
The Carter Center's electoral observation mission to Nicaragua wishes to express its admiration for the peaceful and civic way in which the people and political parties of Nicaragua have participated in all phases of the vote count process since the Oct. 20 national elections.
Report from the Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government on its election observation process in Nicaragua.
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Carter Center Photo: M. Tapia
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Secretary of State James Baker, and former Costa Rica President Oscar Arias look over ballots during the 1996 election in Nicaragua.
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