1984 Nicaraguan general election

General elections were held in Nicaragua on 4 November 1984, to elect a president and parliament. Approximately 1.2 million Nicaraguans voted,Williams, Philip J. "Elections and democratization in Nicaragua: the 1990 elections in perspective." Journal of Interamerican Studies 32, 4:13-34 (winter 1990). p15 representing a 75% turnout, with 94% of eligible voters registered. Three of the opposition parties in Nicaragua boycotted the election. However, American and British observers concluded that the elections were generally free and fair."1984: Sandinistas claim election victory" BBC News, November 5, 1984"NICARAGUAN VOTE: 'FREE, FAIR, HOTLY CONTESTED'" The New York Times

The election date, 4 November was selected so that Nicaragua would have a legitimate, elected government in place before the anticipated reelection of U.S. president Ronald Reagan on 6 November. "The Sandinistas hoped that a competitive election with heavy turnout would deter a U.S. military intervention and reassure the FSLN's defenders."Cornelius, Wayne A. "The Nicaraguan elections of 1984: a reassessment of their domestic and international significance." Drake, Paul W. and Eduardo Silva. 1986. Elections and democratization in Latin America, 1980-85. La Jolla: Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, Institute of the Americas, University of California, San Diego. Pp. 62.

Between 1982 and 1984 the FSLN negotiated with the opposition on the proposed Political Parties Law and Electoral Law, and ultimately these were modified "in response to several of the opposition's most significant demands."Williams (1990:17-18) Similarly, multiple extensions of the deadline for candidate registration were granted whilst talks with the opposition continued.Williams (1990:18)

Coordinadora Democrática participation The United States' policy towards Nicaragua played a key role in the election.Williams, Philip J. "Elections and democratization in Nicaragua: the 1990 elections in perspective." Journal of Interamerican Studies 32, 4:13-34 (winter 1990). p16 The Reagan administration was divided over whether or not the rightwing coalition Coordinadora Democrática Nicaragüense ("Democratic Coordinating Committee", CDN) should participate in the elections.

The CDN was a coalition of right-wing parties including the Social Christians, Social Democrats, and the Constitutionalist Liberal Party. Hardliners in the CIA and NSC wanted a boycott, believing participation in the election would only serve to legitimize the Sandinista regime, while moderates in the US State Department thought that the opposition should enter the contest. This division among the administration "only complicated the efforts of the Coordinadora to develop a coherent electoral strategy."

Eventually, pressure from the hardliners and public statements from President Ronald Reagan dismissing the elections as "farcical" gave those in favor of a boycott the upper hand. However, while members of the CDN sought to gain leverage and increase their bargaining power with the Sandinistas, the Reagan administration was not motivated by an interest in helping the opposition, but rather a desire to bolster the contras by undermining the election and to justify their own military pressure against the Sandinista government.

Ultimately, though the CDN decided to abstain, a total of seven political parties took part in the November elections. Of those, three were ideologically to the right of the Sandinistas – the Democratic Conservative Party, the Independent Liberal Party, and the Popular Social Christian Party – and three were to their left – the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, and the Marxist–Lennist Popular Action Movement.Smith, Hazel. Nicaragua: self-determination and survival. London : Pluto Press. 1993. Pp. 149.

Results President

National Assembly All parties except the FSLN were awarded an additional seat for the party's unsuccessful presidential candidate.

Aftermath Although assessments from external observers such as Baron Chitnis, the Latin American Studies Association, and the international press were in widely shared agreement that Nicaragua's 1984 election had been free and fair, the Reagan administration denounced the vote as a "Soviet-style sham". The U.S. escalated its diplomatic and propaganda campaign against the Sandinista government and increased military aid to the Contras. "This undercut the new regime's legitimacy abroad and frustrated its hopes that the 1984 vote might smooth the way at home."Booth, John A. "Electoral observation and democratic transition in Nicaragua." Electoral observation and democratic transitions in Latin America. 1998. La Jolla: Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California, San Diego. Pp. 189. May 1985 saw a trade embargo imposed by the US, followed by $27 million of "non-lethal" aid to the Contras, supplemented by $37 million of secret "lethal" aid.Williams (1990:19) This led to the October 1985 reimposition of a State of Emergency in Nicaragua.

References

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