Nicaragua Vote Bolsters
Sandinistas
Managua - With the vote
count almost over, the
Sandinista Front for
National Liberation (FSLN)
is strengthened Tuesday
in most of the country's
municipalities, in an
election marked by
violence from opposition
groups.
According to preliminary
results published in the
Electoral Supreme
Council (CSE) website,
the Sandinistas have 91
mayor's offices, four
more than in the 2004
elections.
The FSLN traditional
rival, the
Constitutionalist
Liberal Party (PLC),
will rule 49
municipalities as of
January 2009, while the
Nicaraguan Liberal
Alliance, now in
minority, earned three
seats.
The CSE is waiting for
the counting of votes in
three municipalities,
but all the indications
are that the Sandinistas
will win.
Almost over 1,000
election boards, of
11,808 that opened in
146 of 153
municipalities of the
country Sunday, are
still to be counted.
In Managua , FSLN
candidate former boxer
Alexis Arguello, with
69.34 percent of votes
counted, led the count
of votes with 51.30
percent, while his PLC
rival, banker Eduardo
Montealegre, has 46.45
percent.
The opposition leader,
who already lost to
Daniel Ortega in the
presidential race,
denies defeat, and
called his followers to
defend him on the
Managua streets, where
there were some riots
Monday.
Municipal elections were
also observed by members
of the Quito protocol
and the Latin American
Council of Electoral
Experts. |
