Nicaragua News Service
                         Sept. 10 - 17, 1995
                            Vol. 3, No. 38
 
Major News Stories for the week:
 
1. Mayor Aleman resigns; candidates line up to replace him.
2. Honduran diplomat in hot water.
3. Nicaraguans celebrate "Fiestas Patrias."
4. CID-Gallop publishes political opinion poll. 
5. New political group forming.
6. Community Movement holds elections.
7. Hillary Clinton to visit Nicaragua.
8. Colera attacks San Francisco Libre.
______________________________________________________________________
 
1. Mayor Aleman resigns, others ready to replace him.
 
Last week the Mayor of Managua, Arnoldo Aleman, resigned to dedicate 
himself full time to the campaign that he hopes will bring him to the 
Nicaraguan presidency one year from now.  The new interim Mayor is 
Roberto Cedeno, formerly Assistant Mayor and unconditional supporter 
of Aleman and the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC).  The only 
city council member to oppose Cedeno's candidacy was Monica Baltodano 
of the FSLN.
 
Meanwhile FSLN National Assembly member Herty Lewites, associated with 
the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), has also announced his 
interest in running for the mayor's job.  Lewites was Minister of 
Tourism during the Sandinista government and was responsible for many 
public works and tourist projects.
 
Marta Palacios, who recently resigned her position as Minister of 
Health, has also announced her interest in running.
 
Another surprise candidate emerged last week when Carlos Jose 
Guadamuz, controversial director of the popular radio station "Radio 
Ya," announced that he wanted to run on the FSLN ticket for the 
position of mayor of Managua, which he considers to be "the second 
most powerful position in Nicaragua after the presidency."  He stated 
that he hoped that his colleagues in the FSLN would support his 
candidacy in the FSLN primaries.  (Barricada, Sept. 12)
 
2. Honduran diplomat in hot water.
 
A Honduran diplomat has been exposed for misuse of his diplomatic 
privileges according to a series of articles published in the 
newspaper Barricada last week.  According to the reports, Carlos Orbon 
Montoya has been importing luxury items duty free in the name of 
Honduran diplomats who have already left the country.  The latest 
entry was a jeep station wagon valued at almost $40,000 in the name of 
a colleague who had left Nicaragua in June.  Orbon has also imported 
duty free thousands of dollars worth of liquor and other items which 
were later reported to have been sold in a local Managua market.
 
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Ernesto Leal has ordered an investigation 

of the customs duty exoneration privileges of the Honduran embassy but 
was very careful not to insinuate any wrongdoing on the part of the 
Honduran diplomats.
 
Barricada also reported that Orbon Montoya was to have been the 
ambassador to Venezuela but that that government would not accept him.  
The Nicaraguan government did accept him "with reservations" and 
because of the personal intercession of the Honduran Foreign Minister. 
 
Barricada also reported that Orbon Montoya had close political ties 
with the Mayor of Managua and has been advising him on his 
presidential campaign.  Orbon Montoya denied the charges and stated 
that he had offered technical support only to the Supreme Electoral 
Council.  This statement was refuted by the President of that body who 
stated that the Supreme Electoral Council had never requested 
assistance from the Honduran Embassy.  (Barricada, Sept. 12)
 
3. Nicaraguans celebrate "Fiestas Patrias."
 
Nicaraguans celebrated Central American independence from Spain with a 
long weekend last week as thousands of school children marched in 
independence day parades. 
 
One of the principal activities of the celebration is the passing of 
the torch of liberty from one Central American country to another.  
The torch passed to Nicaragua from Honduras at Somotillo with the 
usual ceremony but was passed to Costa Rica via a window given that 
once again this year the Costa Ricans refused to open their borders 
for the traditional exchange. 
 
Daniel Ortega, in Cuba for a health checkup after his mild heart 
attack last year sent greetings.  (Barricada, Sept. 14)
 
4. CID-Gallop publishes political opinion poll.
 
A recent opinion poll done by the CID Gallop Company indicates that 
the Liberal Alliance of Arnoldo Aleman would receive 24% of the vote 
in elections and the FSLN, 22%.  The nation-wide poll was taken 
between the 21st and 29th of August, with the consultation of a total 
of 1,245 Nicaraguans over the age of 16, which is the legal voting age 
in the country. 
 
The results of the poll reveal a slight improvement in the relative 
position of the FSLN with relation to the Liberal Alliance.  It also 
revealed that six percent would have voted for Antonio Lacayo and 4% 
for Sergio Ramirez of the MRS.  
 
According to the same poll, a total of 32% prefer to watch the FSLN 
news broadcast "Extravision."  The closest competitor to that newscast 
had 20% of the television audience.  (Barricada, Sept. 12)
 
5.  New political group forming.
 
Last week, a mixed group of politicians and businessmen announced the 
formation of a new political alliance that will be, according to them, 
the "salvation of the Nation."  One of the promoters of the alliance 

is Haroldo Montealegre, president of the Liberal National Party (PLN) 
and Director of the newspaper, La Tribuna.  Montealegre, who has not 
hidden his presidential aspirations, was the chief competitor of 
Arnoldo Aleman for the candidacy of the Liberal Alliance.  His PLN has 
not joined the Liberal Alliance and has instead chosen to be part of 
this new political alliance that also includes presidents of three 
other political parties, Luis Humberto Guzman of the Union of 
Christian Democrats, Alfredo Cesar of the National Democratic Party, 
and Wilfredo Navarro of the Liberal Independent Party. Other members 
of the new grouping are: Luis Sanchez, deputy in the National 
Assembly; Jorge Eduardo Arellano, historian; Ariel Granera, diplomat; 
and William Tefel, small businessman. (La Prensa, Sept. 13)
 
6. Community Movement holds elections.
 
Enrique Picado and Maxima Bermudez were re-elected last week to their 
positions of Coordinator and Vice-Coordinator of the Nicaraguan 
Community Movement (MCN) during the annual meeting of that 
organization.
 
The weeks preceding that annual meeting were filled with controversy 
regarding procedures for picking the delegates who would attend the 
meeting and thus vote for national candidates. One hundred and ten 
delegates wrote a letter asking that the former Executive Committee 
not be re-elected because there had not been elections at the base 
level of the MCN. Those delegates were later overruled by the majority 
and the elections took place.
 
One of the resolutions that came out of the meeting was a call for a 
march on the National Assembly to demand that that body pass a law 
which would settle the property question once and for all. The MCN 
also decided to reactivate the National Housing Commission which will 
try to defend the residents of the almost 500 squatter settlements 
which have appeared throughout the country. The Judicial Commission of 
the MCN will also be reactivated.
 
Both measures were considered urgent by the MCN delegates given that, 
on September 15, the moratorium on housing evictions issued by the 
National Assembly expired and a new resolution has not been approved, 
leaving thousands of families at the mercy of judicial eviction 
orders.
 
Community Movement members in the National Assembly also resolved to 
demand that political parties work in a more ethical manner in the 
1996 elections, meaning that they should not attempt to manipulate 
neighborhoods and also that they should not establish campaign 
headquarters in any MCN barrio office. (Barricada Sept. 11, La Prensa 
Sept. 14)
 
7. Hillary Clinton to Visit Nicaragua.
 
Hillary Clinton will be visiting Nicaragua this coming October 12 and 
plans to meet with President Violeta Chamorro to discuss "topics 
related to women and to education." This will be first official visit 
by Mrs. Clinton to Central America. She will also visit Chile, Brazil, 
Uruguay and Paraguay during the trip.


During her visit Mrs. Clinton will announce modifications in the US 
foreign aid allotted to social programs which will now emphasize 
education and health, targeted especially at women and children. 
However, no new funds are being made available for 1995. (El Nuevo 
Diario, Sept. 13)
 
8. Cholera attacks San Francisco Libre.
 
More than 38 cases of cholera were reported in the town of San 
Francisco Libre, a small town located 79 kilometers outside of 
Managua. Because of the outbreak, the Health Ministry (MINSA) has 
ordered a complete restocking of medicines in the town's local health 
center, MINSA has also decided to restock all the country's health 
centers because of the threat of outbreaks of cholera and dengue in 
the country. 
 
This year a total of 103 people have died in Nicaragua from cholera; a 
total of 4,061 cases of the disease have been reported in the country. 
(Barricada, Sept. 14)