FIRST REPORT ON PRE-ELECTORAL OBSERVATION
NICARAGUA 2006 ELECTIONS

Nicaragua, 2006
 

• Voter registry
• Voter registration
• The Promise of Law Act ( Acto de Promesa de Ley ), regarding article 41 of the Electoral Law
• Transmission of votes
• Electoral districting and the ratón loco
• Political inhibitions

Partido Liberal Constitucionalista

• Voter registration processes are of great concern, since there are no established deadlines for the distribution of identification cards. The registration system is obsolete and requires investment in technology, political will and public pressure to be improved.
• It is urgent and necessary to update the voter registry, due to ensuing problems such as the ratón loco , which prevent citizens from voting.
• There is need for support of Article 41 of the Electoral Law which states that citizens can vote at the polling site nearest to their home even if they are not listed at that voter registry center.
• Regarding the financing of parties, greater transparency is required. Currently, political parties must present their expenditures while those candidates who receive the most funding do not. The PLC worries that it will not be able to obtain bank loans for its campaign due to pressure from the United States and President Bolanos's administration.
• A revision and observation of the transmission of votes is necessary so that results are not manipulated in data collection centers.

Alianza por la República

• Electoral observation is required for the entire electoral process, not only on election day.
• Observation of political party primaries is necessary.
• All observations must begin with an updating of the voter registry.
• There are problems with the electoral districting and voter registry, most of which are rooted in the transmission of a number of votes from one community to another and the ratón loco .

Alianza Herty 2006

• Political inhibitions limit political participation. There is concern that Herty's candidacy is threatened by the judiciary and legislative powers' lack of independence. These institutions are a threat to citizens' right to participate in politics and create unfair competition.
• The voter registry needs to be updated. There are people in the registry who are not voters and vice versa, which is why an audit of the registry is urgent.
• Distrust exists within the electoral process itself since the Electoral Power is in the hands of only two political parties.

Alianza Liberal

• The voter registry has problems with regard to the movement of voters. The party would be willing to conduct an audit, but has encountered further difficulties because of the way in which the CSE delivered the Electoral Registry, forcing it to conduct a field audit.
• Voter and civil registration is a problem that requires immediate attention.
• Transmission of votes. This step of the process requires additional control and systems for observation, particularly in the area of control over the entry of votes in the CSE's server. The perception is that whoever controls the transmission of votes also controls the results.
• In terms of objections and resolutions, the Alliance notes that the problem lies in that there are no permanent electoral procedures. Experience shows that the CSE can emit resolutions until the day prior to elections, creating a great deal of uncertainty. The Alliance supports the establishing of electoral rules at least 180 days prior to the elections.

FSLN

• The main concern is the involvement of countries outside the electoral process. The United States is of particular concern, due to its support of particular candidates or parties and their campaigns against other political forces.