The low participation of citizens In the voting process this Sunday, it was a reflection of the “political fracture” between President Daniel Ortega and the majority of the Nicaraguan population. Such a situation leaves the Sandinista leader in a position of “illegitimacy,” both outside and inside the country, the interviewed politicians considered. in the program This week, which is broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.
Opposition platforms, civil society organizations and students and defenestrated political parties applauded “the courage of the Nicaraguan people”, when facing the repression and surveillance of the regime, refusing to participate in this voting process that is as irregular as it is questioned.
In its latest report, the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), controlled by Ortega, assigned the family binomial of Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo with 75.92% of votes, in a tailor-made election questioned by the lack of competition, the imprisonment of opponents and the generalized repression against civil society and the independent media.
Jesús Téfel, a political analyst in exile linked to the Blue and White Unit (UNAB), described the voting process as “shameful and scandalous”, characterized by the high level of abstention, which according to the electoral observation monitoring of Open Urns, reached 81.5%.
“It was evident that after the forced vote of the state workers and the vote of the military, police and militants of the Sandinista Front, what was left for this party was practically nothing, and what was seen is a citizenry who remained in their house showing his rejection of the electoral farce, ”he said.
A tour made by CONFIDENCIAL in several Voting Centers in Managua and reports from collaborators from the interior of the country show a low participation of citizens in this process, embodied in the lack of ranks and empty Vote Receiving Boards.
“Never in my life have I seen such low levels of participation. This was an act of protest by the citizens, not an act of civic disinterest. It was shown that the public did not believe Ortega that this was a serious electoral act and they demonstrated their protest. In addition, it was a cry for help to the international community, with the people doing their part by ignoring this process, ”said Téfel.
The political analyst Eliseo Núñez Morales insisted that the fact that the majority of citizens stayed at home, instead of lending themselves to the electoral farce, shows the complete disconnection between the majority of the population with the Ortega discourse.
“It is significant that the population has challenged Ortega with the current levels of repression and despite the threats. The Nicaraguan people emptied the streets, closed the doors in Ortega’s face. It is evident that Ortega is experiencing a political bankruptcy. They believed that repression and the story that only they could bring prosperity to Nicaragua was enough to have control of the country, “he said.
“What was clear here for everyone, even for many Sandinistas, is that the problem is Daniel Ortega. The opposition has to regroup, it has to walk even further, to see for the leaderships that are emerging, mainly in the territories. The opposition has to stop with these divisive issues and bet on recovering the freedom of Nicaragua. Everything else is postponed, ”said Núñez.
UNAB rejects the electoral farce
The Blue and White National Unity celebrated this Monday the position of the majority of the population to stay at home and not participate in the voting process.
“The Ortega Murillo dictatorship consummated yesterday, November 7, the main act of the electoral farce. Before this, the citizens responded with closed doors, empty streets and voting centers, thus expressing their rejection of the dictatorship. While throughout the world, thousands of Nicaraguans expressed their repudiation of the farce with a series of marches and sit-ins, “said a UNAB statement.
“As we have argued before, we do not recognize this result, as we did not recognize the previous process. They are illegitimate and their alleged victory stands over the corpses of the murdered, the pain of their families and exiles, over the captivity of the dozens of men and women kidnapped in the regime’s prisons. For the Nicaraguan democratic forces a new stage of struggle is opening against a regime whose totalitarian, criminal and fraudulent nature has been confirmed once again in the eyes of the world, ”he added.
The Civic Alliance of Nicaragua also rejected the process and he reiterated his complaint about the police state imposed by the regime and which was radicalized in the days prior to the electoral farce, involving the capture of territorial leaders of this organization.
“We have just witnessed an electoral process that did not comply with international standards of electoral quality. The Nicaraguan Political Constitution and Electoral Law were violated, as well as international conventions on human and political rights signed and ratified by the State of Nicaragua. Therefore, the results of these elections do not enjoy the legitimacy and legality that Nicaraguans previously demanded, ”the organization’s statement quoted.
“We congratulate the Nicaraguan people who decided not to endorse the assembly of the Supreme Electoral Council by staying at home. A people that demonstrates its civility and need for democratic expression will wait for the most viable option for democracy, freedom and justice to go out en masse to vote ”, adds the message of the Civic Alliance.
The political party Ciudadanos por la Libertad, to which the regime stripped them of their legal status with the collaboration of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party and inhibited it from participating in these elections, also reacted by rejecting the votes controlled by Ortega.
In the darkest moments of our history, Nicaraguans have known how to carry on with courage and perseverance.
Today we have to continue working for a Nicaragua in peace and democracy.
The fight for freedom continues! pic.twitter.com/JEWKqA4gmn
– Kitty Monterrey (@KittyMonterrey) November 8, 2021
“In the darkest moments of our history, Nicaraguans have known how to carry on with courage and perseverance. Today we have to continue working for a Nicaragua in peace and democracy. The fight for freedom continues! ”, Wrote Kitty Monterrey, president of this political organization, on her Twitter account.
