Nicaragua News Service November 12 - 18, 1995 Vol. 3, No. 46 by Molly Dwyer Major News Stories for the week: 1. Daniel Ortega announces his candidacy for FSLN primaries. 2. Arturo Harding's name dropped as candidate for Comptroller. 3. Legality of Aleman candidacy challenged. 4. Debate Continues on Electoral Law. 5. Farmers Suffer from Economic Crisis and Heavy Rains. BRIEFS ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Daniel Ortega announces his candidacy for FSLN primaries. On Saturday, Nov. 11, before five thousand people gathered for the Commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the death of Carlos Fonseca, former president Daniel Ortega announced his candidacy for the FSLN nomination for the presidency. Ortega chose the day of his birthday to begin the Frente Sandinista's 1996 presidential campaign. The former president called for unity among popular sectors based on the poverty and need that the population has in common regardless of political affiliation. He invited contras and affiliates of other political parties to join together and fight against the neoliberal economic model. Ortega compared the current situation of hunger, delinquency, epidemics, and renewed concentration of land ownership to the times of Somoza and said that unity of the people across political lines was the only solution. Ortega guaranteed that compulsory military service would not return with a Sandinista victory in 1996. "The war ended precisely when the Sandinista government was the promoter of peace and signed the Sapoa Agreements with what was the contra." Ortega also emphasized that the U.S. government had promised to recognize a Sandinista government if one were elected in 1996. (Barricada, Nov. 12) 2. Arturo Harding's name dropped as candidate for Comptroller. A deadlock between the Legislative and the Executive Branches around the filling of the office of Comptroller, responsible for monitoring the use of the funds of all state agencies, continues. The election of a new Comptroller was mandated by the Framework Law passed by the National Assembly in June to resolve a months-long Constitutional crisis. Arturo Harding, the incumbent, and the candidate proposed by President Chamorro was eliminated from the running after receiving only 14 of the 56 necessary confirming votes in the National Assembly. Harding was favored to win only a week ago. He had the support of 52 deputies, the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), government auditors, independent businesspeople and, of course, the presidency. Harding has since been accused of misuse of funds, abuse of authority, and illegal use of influence. Despite the accusations and the opposition of the FSLN, the same day as his defeat, Harding had predicted he would have at least 40 votes in his favor. However, when the moment of the vote arrived, only 22 of the 92 representatives were present and 18 representatives decided not to participate. The attempt to choose a new Comptroller from a slate agreed upon by both executive and legislative branches has demonstrated once again a power struggle and lack of cooperation between the branches. The stalemate and the failure to reach an agreement has been attributed to political games as much as to issues particular to the candidates. The objective of such games is speculated to be to delay decisions about the Property Law and the Privatization of TELCOR or to create a crisis which would serve as an excuse for the current government's failure to solve the major issues that face the nation. Whatever the motives, the inability of the Executive and Legislative branches to work together in the face of issues of such importance as the property bill and the privatization of TELCOR is worrisome for the nation. It now falls to the president to nominate other candidates and start the process of confirmation all over again. (La Tribuna, Nov. 3, 6, 16, 17; Barricada Nov. 6.) 3. Legality of Aleman candidacy challenged. Arnoldo Aleman, former mayor of Managua and candidate of the far right who receives substantial financial support from Nicaraguans currently living in Miami, faces a legal challenge that could disqualify him from the presidential race. A Managua attorney named Denis Plata claims that Article 178 of the Constitution was violated when Aleman stepped down from his post as Mayor of Managua in September in order to comply with the regulation that requires public office holders to resign one year prior to the elections if they wish to be candidates. According to Plata, the correct procedure was not followed in the transition of the mayors' office from Aleman to Roberto Cedeno. Therefore, according to Plata, Aleman is still legally mayor of Managua, which would automatically disqualify him from the presidential race. (La Tribuna, Nov. 4) 4. Debate Continues on Electoral Law. Along with solving the property issue, privatizing TELCOR, approving the National Budget, and electing the new Comptroller, the National Assembly is tackling the task of approving the new electoral law. The two issues of current interest are the vote for citizens living abroad and popular nominations. The proposal by National Assembly Deputy Edmundo Castillo to include in the electoral law a provision allowing voting at certain embassies and/or consulates abroad was defeated. Castillo claims that this defeat means the exclusion of 500,000 voters and attributes it to Sandinista opposition. "It's the Sandinistas whom voting abroad doesn't favor and because of this they oppose it." Those opposed to the proposal cited high cost and the probability of fraud as the primary reasons for their opposition. The current law leaves the final decision to the Supreme Electoral Council and states that voting abroad should only be held if the Council considers that conditions exist that are identical to those for internal elections. (La Tribuna, Nov. 16) The proposal put forward by Sandinista sectors to extend popular nomination to elections of mayors, National Assembly deputies and the president and vicepresident remains under debate. Popular nomination is the process by which citizens can propose candidates for public office without being obliged to participate in a political party. Supporters of the proposal argue that the power of nomination should be given to the people. There are many qualified candidates for public office who do not wish to ally themselves with a political party, stated Dr. Edmundo Castilo, who referred to the "ring of power" within most political parties that make candidacy inaccessible to most people. The lack of credibility in the eye of the public suffered by most political parties is another reason for supporting the proposal. Those who oppose the idea state that popular nomination favors the economically powerful parties which can have intermediaries who defend their interests. In addition, according to Deputy Cairo Manuel Lopez, a candidate could be financed by drug traffickers and not be responsible to the electorate. The vote was evenly divided on the proposal and it has been set aside as a special discussion topic for later debate. (La Tribuna, Nov. 18; La Prensa, Nov. 18) 5. Farmers Suffer from Economic Crisis and Heavy Rains. Farmers and ranchers in Nicaragua are suffering under adverse conditions of weather and finances. In some cases crops have been damaged by heavy rains. In others, farmers live under the constant threat of having their land taken away because of delinquent loans or because they are simply unable to finance the harvest. The heavy rains that hit northern Nicaragua during September and October caused not only destructive flooding and the conditions that led to epidemics of disease, but also to the loss of 40% of the rice crop. Four thousand farmers were affected, in addition to the farm workers who depend on the rice harvest as their means of survival. Farmers are currently renegotiating their debts with the banks. Lack of financing is the other major issue facing agricultural producers. With the establishment of a new collection office through which the three state banks hope to collect $100 million from delinquent borrowers, the threat of loss of land has increased for many farmers. The agricultural production of western Nicaragua is currently in danger due to the constant threat of land foreclosure and lack of financial resources. The plight of these farmers was analyzed by 15 organizations which are calling on the government for a solution. The sesame seed, peanut, cotton and sorghum as well as the all-important coffee crops are threatened. Producers lack the money to buy insecticides and to cover the costs of the harvest including salaries, provisions, and fuel. The Association of Coffee Producers of Matagalpa has brought these concerns to the National Development Bank, stating that, if the bank does not provide immediate assistance, losses may reach $40 million. (La Tribuna, Nov. 4, 17, 18; Barricada, Nov. 9) BRIEFS 19th Anniversary of Death of Carlos Fonseca. Thousands of Sandinistas paid homage to Comandante Carlos Fonseca, founder of the FSLN, covering his mausoleum with wreaths and natural flowers from their own gardens in commemoration of the 19th anniversary of his death in combat in Zinica, in mountainous central Nicaragua. In the cities of Corinto, Chinandega and Matagalpa hundreds of citizens paid homage to the revolutionary hero. (Barricada, Nov. 9) Chamorro assures U.S. that elections will be held in '96. President Violeta Chamorro announced during a conference in the U.S. that there will be elections in 1996. The elections have been threatened by the inability of the Executive and Legislative branches to agree on several crucial matters bringing the country to the point of crisis on more than one occasion. But, despite the recent stalemate between the two branches regarding the selection of the Comptroller, the President is confident that this will not affect the upcoming elections. "I want elections and the elections will happen," Chamorro announced to reporters. (La Prensa, Nov. 18, La Tribuna, Nov. 18) No Salary Increase for Teachers. Minister of Education Humberto Belli confirmed that in the next year there will not be salary increases for the 30,000 teachers of the country as had been announced previously. The Executive Branch did not approve the budget proposal to cover the increase. "False information was given out two weeks ago when it was said that there had been a major increase in the education budget and that this increase was going to allow for a significant salary increase," reported Belli. (La Tribuna, Nov. 4) University Students Demand Their 6% of National Budget. University students held a vigil Nov. 9, formed a human chain on Nov. 14, and will march on the National Assembly on Nov. 23 to demand the 6% of the national budget allotted to the national university system by the Constitution. The National Congress of Universities denied that there will be a strike to stop all academic activities as has occurred in years past. Government Takes Action to Stabilize Currency. The government has recently taken the equivalent of $3.5 million out of circulation in order to maintain the stability of the cordoba and avoid inflation. The government began the gradual process of removing the currency in October. Although many merchants have complained, stating that they have seen the effects of the government action in a 20% reduction in their pre-Christmas sales, the Vice-Minister of Finance maintains that a large devaluation would be far worse.