Opposition groups point out that the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo carried out a “pantomime” by winning the 153 mayorships of Nicaragua in the municipal votes on Sunday, November 6. According to the first report of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), dominated by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), the government party “swept” the elections at the national level.
«The regime has removed the last shred of modesty by taking over 100% of the mayors. He only had a gap left with less than 10% of the mayoralties attributed to non-Orteguist forces. However, yesterday (Sunday) that thread was discarded and today they announce to us that they already have 100% of the mayorships », he told Article 66 Ana Quirós, member of the Political Council of the Blue and White National Unity (Unab).
“Some consider that this is a strengthening of the FSLN party, but what was seen yesterday and the day before yesterday is that the image of the FSLN is weakened, it is violated, because it even had to resort to arresting its own people or others who are incarcerated today. for daring to even ask. The people, the citizens have said “no more, we don’t believe in your farce”, “added the opponent.
For Arturo McFields, Ortega’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), the Nicaraguan dictatorship marks a “new record” by gaining absolute control of 100% of the mayor’s offices. «Without competition, with 82.6% abstentionism, more than 1,000 ghost candidates and +200 Nicaraguans under jail and torture in El Chipote. Cuban-style elections,” criticized the former diplomat.
Daisy George West, coordinator of the Civic Alliance Executive Council, told Article 66 that the results disclosed by the CSE are only the sample of the consummation of the “pantomime” of voting that the dictatorship mounted under its conditions on November 6.
Related news: The FSLN “swept through” the 153 mayoralties, according to the Ortega supporter CSE
“In Nicaragua there were no elections. The people had no options to choose, because surely the results were already sealed. The destruction of democratic institutions (was) in view of the international community, it is sad but it is the real situation in the country,” lamented George.
The opposition affirmed that the people of Nicaragua continue to resist despite the state of repression that is experienced throughout the country. She emphasized that all state workers were forced to go out and vote because they were threatened with being fired.
“The Nicaraguan government is the main actor in forcing its fellow citizens to migrate because they have no chance to live in peace. The repressive apparatuses: the National Police and the Army no longer protect citizens because they are at the service of the Ortega-Murillo regime, under these conditions the people decided to stay home », he stressed.
Although the CSE did not provide details of citizen participation, the Urnas Abiertas observatory set it at 17.33%, while abstention was 82.67% throughout the country. The municipal elections were held “under absolute territorial control”, arbitrary arrests, pressure on state workers, among other anomalies.
