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Nicaraguans Distrust Observers,
Says Ortega
With Nov 5 elections looming,
Sandinista National Liberation
Front former president and
presidential candidate Daniel
Ortega advised Nicaraguans on
Tuesday not to trust electoral
observers.
"I´m telling the Nicaraguan
people not to trust observers
any more, he said during a
seminar on direct democracy
attended by representatives of
leftwing parties from 19 Latin
American, Asian and African
countries.
According to Ortega, the FSLN
has had bitter experiences with
international “experts” in
charge of assessing results of
general elections carried out in
the country.
The worst was in 1996, he
recalled, when the process was
challenged by the Sandinistas,
and involved then OAS Secretary
General Cesar Gaviria, and
former Presidents Oscar Arias
(Costa Rica) and Jimmy Carter
(US).
He added that in a private
meeting at the FSLN headquarters
the day after the elections,
observers admitted the
violations, but said results had
to be complied with for the
country´s good.
The former Nicaraguan president
(1979-1990) cited the example of
irregularities and cheating
orchestrated against leftwing
parties and the current
situation in Mexico.
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