Nicaraguan vice president urges rejection of state of economic
Nicaraguan Vice President Jose Rizo Castellon called on the National Assembly on Tuesday to reject the "state of economic emergency" proposed in a decree by President Enrique Bolanos and seek stability of the country.

Rizo said in a television program that he would ask his party, the Liberal Constitutionalist, to reject the decree at the National Assembly as soon as possible and seek dialogue with the executive power to search for solutions based on consensus.

The economic emergency decree would only worsen the crisis instead of overcoming it, he added.

Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos decreed on Monday a state of economic emergency for 180 days in an attempt to tide over an energy crisis that has forced a three-hours-a day rationing of electricity supply in the country.

Rizo said the emergency decree "does not produce initiatives to seek strong alternatives to end the national energy crisis, and does not contain any single idea on how to cope with the economic crisis."

"The solution will not be found by Bolanos alone," said the vice president, who also suggested a national consensus on making a series of laws to cope with the economic and energy crisis.

Bolanos said earlier that the current energy crisis was due to high fuel prices. He announced on Monday an increase in the electricity rate by 11.83 percent for users who consume more than 150 kwh a month, but the date for the decree to come into effect has not been decided yet. Only one-fourth of electricity users will be affected by the surcharge.

Bolanos should send the decree to the country's National Assembly for discussion and approval within 72 hours from its publication in the Official Gazette.