FSLN Announces Coalition Slate for November Election

Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit

excerpted from NY Transfer's RHC News Update - 28 May 2001


SANDINISTAS ANNOUNCE COALITION SLATE FOR NOVEMBER ELECTION

ORTEGA'S LEAD IN POLLS VIEWED WITH ALARM BY RIGHT WING, CATHOLIC CHURCH

Managua, May 28 (RHC)--Nicaragua's Sandinista National Liberation Front
(FSLN) has chosen Agustin Jarquin, the country's former comptroller general,
as its vice presidential candidate in next November's general election.

Following a meeting of the Sandinista National Assembly on Monday, the FSLN
confirmed that Jarquin, who is a member of the United Social Christian
Party, will be the running mate of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega.  The
selection of Jarquin is widely seen as the consolidation of the electoral
alliance between the Sandinistas and the United Social Christian Party.

In a brief statement Monday morning Agustin Jarquin said that, if elected as
the country's vice president, he would work against government corruption
and fight against the poverty affecting the vast majority of the Nicaraguan
people. The former comptroller general stated that the FSLN -- is the best
option for the future of the country, adding that the broad nature of the
party's political platform also makes it the best alternative for
Nicaragua's private sector.

According to the latest voter opinion polls, Daniel Ortega is at least ten
points ahead of his closest rival, Enrique Bolanos, the current vice
president and member of the ruling Liberal Constitutionalist Party.

Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan Catholic Church has announced that at least 6,000
election observers will be in the country for next November's presidential
elections.

Bishop Abelardo Mata, head of the Diocese in the northern city of Esteli
since 1988, told reporters in Managua that the Church has made a special
effort to make sure international observers are watching the electoral
process because "Nicaraguans are not politically mature" and need to be
watched. Bishop Mata went on to say that the people of his country are "very
passionate," implying that they can't be trusted to make intelligent
decisions.

One observer noted that many right-wing religious leaders thought everything
was fine in Nicaragua until it looked like the Sandinistas might win the
upcoming presidential elections. Now, with the real threat of the FSLN
returning to power, they are scrambling to find as many observers as
possible -- hoping to declare the elections fraudulent should Daniel Ortega
be elected president.

(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.

 
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