The United States was concerned about the legislation promoted by Ortega and said Nicaragua is heading for “flawed elections.”

The United States on Thursday was “deeply concerned” by the electoral legislation promoted in Nicaragua by the former Sandinista guerrilla Daniel ortega, as well as by a “biased” Supreme Electoral Council, which “undermines the credibility of the Nicaraguan elections”.

According to a State Department statement, the Nicaraguan regime “rejected calls from its own citizens and the international community, including the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, to build confidence in the electoral process “.

In fact, he criticizes having done the opposite “by adopting important reforms” which cast doubt on the holding of “free and fair elections in November”.

In the declaration, signed by the spokesperson for the department, Ned Price, denounce that “on Tuesday, May 4, the Nicaraguan National Assembly approved a law prohibiting the people from holding genuinely free and fair elections”.

These electoral measures approved by the Ortega regime “are contrary to those called for in the resolution of the OAS General Assembly of October 2020”, and “do not provide for the timely and transparent presentation of the results or the ‘independent observation of elections, national or international’.

They also “codify disturbing new reasons for excluding candidates from participation and give the Nicaraguan National Police the power to ban political party meetings and campaign events.”

On the other hand, the Assembly also approved the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Council, who are all “loyalists loyal to President Ortega”.

“With these actions, along with the continued repression of human rights, President Ortega and his supporters show a disturbing disregard for the will of the Nicaraguan people and Nicaragua’s commitments under the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” denounced Price.

To add that “The United States will continue to use diplomatic and economic tools” at your disposal for “Support the calls of Nicaraguans for democracy, justice and free and fair elections.”

The next electoral process in this Central American country will take place in November, elections attended by the opposition with the intention of dethroning Ortega.

In the meantime, the Acting Under Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States Department of State, Julie chung, estimated on Wednesday that Nicaragua is heading towards a certain “imperfect elections”Next November.

“Nicaragua heads for flawed elections unless it implements a free and fair process that respects the will of the people“Said the diplomat in a message sent to the media by the American embassy in Managua.

The American official asserted her position based on the reform of the electoral law promoted and approved by the Sandinistas and the election of new electoral arbitrators, mainly linked to President Ortega.

Sandinista lawmakers and their allies, who have an absolute majority in parliament, approved electoral law reforms the day before. cancel election observation to make way for the limited number of “support”, prevents candidates from applauding international sanctions against President Ortega and his associates, limit election financing Yes restricts constitutional rights.

In addition, they re-elected 2 magistrates from the Supreme Electoral Council and elected 8 others, mostly Sandinistas, which ensured that the election arbitration body continues to be made up of members of the ruling party and of characters described as allies, depending on the opponents.

“The new electoral law of the AN (National Assembly) disappoints the Nicaraguan people and does not convince the international community. The CSE is strongly biasedSaid the Acting Under Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US State Department.

Chung called on Ortega and Sandinista MPs to use the discussion on electoral reform and the election of new electoral referees to “make the electoral system more credible” in Nicaragua.

Nicaraguan opposition expressed rejection of electoral law reforms and new arbitrators, as well as of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), the country’s main employer.

Last October, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) called on Nicaragua to create the conditions no later than May 2021 for “credible” elections, but the reforms, opponents say, do not guarantee fair elections, but could instead worsen the socio-political crisis the country has been going through since April 2018.

Nicaragua plans to hold presidential and legislative elections on November 7, in which President Ortega aspires to his third consecutive re-election.

(With information from Europa Press and EFE)

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