Nicaraguan general election, 2016

Nicaraguan presidential election, 2016

November 6, 2016

Candidate Daniel Ortega Maximino Rodríguez Party FSLN PLC Running mate Rosario Murillo Martha McCoy Popular vote 1,806,651 374,898 Percentage 72.44% 15.03%

President before election Daniel Ortega FSLN President-elect Daniel Ortega FSLN

General elections were held in Nicaragua on 6 November 2016 to elect the President, the National Assembly and members of the Central American Parliament.^[1] Incumbent President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a third consecutive term amid charges he and the Sandinista Party used their control of state resources to bypass constitutional term limits and hamstring political rivals. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) candidate benefitted from strong economic growth in Nicaragua in recent years, largely without the high levels of crime suffered by its Central American neighbours.^[2]

Background

Four months before the elections, the Nicaraguan Supreme Court removed the disputed Independent Liberal Party (PLI) leader Eduardo Montealegre from office, decreeing that Pedro Reyes was the leader of the PLI. After 16 deputies from the PLI and its Sandinista Renovation Movement ally objected, the Supreme Electoral Council ordered them removed from the National Assembly and empowered Reyes to select their replacements.^[3][4][5][6]

Electoral system

The President of Nicaragua was elected using first-past-the-post voting system.^[7]

The 90 elected members of the National Assembly were elected by two methods; 20 members were elected from a single nationwide constituency, whilst 70 members were elected from 17 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from 2 to 19 seats. Both types of election were carried out using closed list proportional representation with no electoral threshold.^[8] A further two seats were reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election and the outgoing president (or their vice president).^[9]

Lists of candidates to the National Assembly and to the Central American Parliament had to be composed of 50% male and 50% female candidates.^[10]

Conduct

In June 2016 President Daniel Ortega announced international observers would not be allowed to oversee the general elections. The Carter Center termed this "an attack on the international community... We...lament this decision to ignore a key portion of Nicaragua's own electoral law."^[11] However, less than two weeks before the elections, the Organization of American States accepted an invitation to send a delegation "to meet with experts and state bodies involved in the electoral process" from 5–7 November.^[12][13]

Results

President

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Daniel Ortega	Sandinista National Liberation Front	1,806,651	72.44
Maximino Rodríguez	Constitutionalist Liberal Party	374,898	15.03
José Alvarado	Independent Liberal Party	112,562	4.51
Saturnino Cerrato	Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance	107,392	4.31
Erick Cabezas	Conservative Party	57,437	2.30
Carlos Canales	Alliance for the Republic	35,002	1.40
Invalid/blank votes		–	–
Total		2,493,942	100
Registered voters/turnout		–	–
Source: CSE

National Assembly

Party	National			Constituency			Total seats	+/–
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
Sandinista National Liberation Front	1,590,316	65.86	14	1,608,395	66.46	56	70	+7
Constitutionalist Liberal Party	369,342	15.30	3	375,432	15.51	10	13	+11
Independent Liberal Party	162,043	6.71	1	117,626	4.86	1	2	–25
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance	137,541	5.70	1	137,078	5.66	1	2	+2
Conservative Party	106,027	4.39	1	110,568	4.57	0	1	+1
Alliance for the Republic	49,329	2.04	0	70,939	2.93	1	1	+1
YATAMA	–	–	–	30,901	1.28	1	1	–1
Special members[lower-alpha 1]	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	0
Invalid/blank votes		–	–		–	–	–	–
Total	2,414,598	100	20	2,450,939	100	70	92	0
Registered voters/turnout			–			–	–	–
Source: CSE, El 19 Digital

1. The runner-up in the presidential election (Maximino Rodríguez of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party) and the outgoing president are special members of the National Assembly; as Ortega was re-elected, outgoing Vice President Omar Halleslevens of the FSLN, who was not Ortega's running mate in these elections (having been replaced by Rosario Murillo), will take up his seat.

Central American Parliament

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Sandinista National Liberation Front	1,673,627	68.44	15
Constitutionalist Liberal Party	346,855	14.19	3
Independent Liberal Party	139,618	5.71	0
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance	134,858	5.52	1
Conservative Party	106,350	4.35	0
Alliance for the Republic	43,905	1.8	1
Invalid/blank votes		–	–	–
Total	2,445,213	100	20	0
Registered voters/turnout			–	–
Source: CSE, El 19 Digital

References

1. Nicaragua general election, 2016 NDI
2. "Nicaragua president re-elected in landslide amid claims of rigged vote". The Guardian. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
3. CSJ resuelve extenso conflicto del PLI Nuevo Diario, 9 June 2016
4. ¿Quién es Pedro Reyes? La Prensa, 9 June 2016
5. Asamblea ejecuta destitución de diputados Nuevo Diario, 30 July 2016
6. "Nicaragua electoral authority unseats opposition lawmakers". townhall.com. AP. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
7. Constitution of Nicaragua, Article 146. "Ley de Reforma Parcial a la Constitución Política de la República de Nicaragua" (in Spanish). National Assembly. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
8. Electoral system IPU
9. Last elections IPU
10. Constitution of Nicaragua, Article 131. "Ley de Reforma Parcial a la Constitución Política de la República de Nicaragua" (in Spanish). National Assembly. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
11. "Statement on Daniel Ortega's Decision Not to Invite International Observers to Nicaragua Elections". Carter Center. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
12. "Nicaragua to accept OAS election observers". townhall.com. AP. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
13. "OAS Observer in Nicaragua, the Bishops call for authentic dialogue". Agenzia Fides. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.