General elections were held in Nicaragua on 6 November 2016 to elect the President, the National Assembly and members of the Central American Parliament.Nicaragua general election, 2016 NDI Incumbent President Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was re-elected for a third consecutive term amid charges he and the FSLN used their control of state resources to bypass constitutional term limits and hamstring political rivals. The FSLN benefited from strong economic growth and relatively low levels of crime compared to neighbouring countries.

According to the official results, Ortega was reelected with more than 70% of the votes. However, the election was questioned by the opposition due to the dismissal of sixteen opposition deputies months prior to the election and the complaints of both electoral fraud and voter intimidation.

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.CSJ resuelve extenso conflicto del PLI Nuevo Diario, 9 June 2016¿Quién es Pedro Reyes? La Prensa, 9 June 2016Asamblea ejecuta destitución de diputados Nuevo Diario, 30 July 2016

Electoral system The president was elected using first-past-the-post voting.Constitution of Nicaragua, Article 146.

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.Electoral system IPU A further two seats were reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election and the outgoing president (or their vice president).Last elections IPU

Lists of candidates to the National Assembly and to the Central American Parliament had to be composed of 50% male and 50% female candidates.Constitution of Nicaragua, Article 131.

Conduct In June 2016 Ortega announced international observers would not be allowed to oversee the 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." 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.

According to the official results, Ortega was reelected with more than 70% of the votes. However, the election was questioned by the opposition due to the dismissal of the opposition deputies, the lack of international observers and the complaints of both electoral fraud and voter intimidation.

Results President Ortega was widely expected to win due to the popularity of his social programmes and because he faced no obvious political challenger.Nicaragua leader Daniel Ortega wins third consecutive term BBC

National Assembly

List of elected deputies NameParty Constituency Adilia del Pilar Salinas Ortega PLC Chontales Alba Estela González Torrez FSLN National Alejandro Mejía Ferreti ALN National Alfredo César Aguirre PC National Alveris Beldramina Arias Siezar FSLN Managua Ángela Espinoza Torrez FSLN Madriz Antenor Enrique Urbina Leyva FSLN Costa Caribe Norte Argentina del Socorro Parajón Alejos FSLN León Arling Patricia Alonso Gómez FSLN Chinandega Arturo José Valdez Robleto FSLN Costa Caribe Sur Bayardo Antonio Chávez Mendoza FSLN Chinandega Benita del Carmen Arbizú Medina FSLN León Brooklyn Rivera Bryan YATAMA Costa Caribe Norte Byron Rodolfo Jérez Solís APRE Managua Carlos Alberto Jirón Bolaños PLC León Carlos Emilio López Hurtado FSLN Managua Carlos Wilfredo Navarro Moreira FSLN National Corina González García FSLN Chontales Delia María Law Blanco FSLN Granada Dora Elena Rojas FSLN Chinandega Douglas Alemán Benavídez FSLN Chontales Edwin Ramón Castro Rivera FSLN Managua Efrén José González Briones FSLN Madriz Enrique Aldana Burgos FSLN Matagalpa Enrique Javier Beteta Acevedo FSLN National Evelin Patricia Aburto Torres FSLN Masaya Félix Andrés Sandoval Jarquín FSLN Chinandega Filiberto Jacinto Rodríguez López FSLN León Florence Ivette Levy Wilson FSLN National Giorgia Hilaria Juárez Cruz FSLN Chinandega Gladis de los Ángeles Báez FSLN León Gloria del Rosario Montenegro FSLN Jinotega Guillermo Eduardo Arce Castaño FSLN Managua Gustavo Eduardo Porras Cortés FSLN National Haydée Azucena Castillo Barquero PLC National Herberto Octavio Ruiz Morales FSLN Granada Iris Marina Montenegro Blandón FSLN Managua Irma de Jesús Dávila Lazo FSLN Matagalpa Jacinto José Suárez Espinoza FSLN Managua Jenny Azucena Martínez Gómez FSLN Masaya Jimmy Harold Blandón RubioPLC Managua Johanna del Carmen Luna LiraFSLN Managua José Antonio Zepeda López FSLN National José Ramón Sarría Morales FSLN León José Santos Figueroa AguilarFSLN Managua Josefina Roa Romero FSLN Carazo Juana de los Ángeles Molina FSLN National Juana Vicenta Argeñal Sandoval FSLN National Juan Ramón Jiménez FSLN Carazo Juan Ramón Meza Romero FSLN Jinotega Juan Ramón Obregón Valdivia FSLN Jinotega Justo Armando Peña Avilés FSLN Rivas Laura Estela Bermúdez Robleto FSLN National Lester Adrián Villarreal PérezPLC Masaya Loria Raquel Dixon Brautigam FSLN Costa Caribe Norte Lucina Leonor Paz Rodríguez FSLN Boaco Luis Coronel Cuadra FSLN Río San Juan María Augustina Montenegro López FSLN Matagalpa María Auxiliadora Martínez Corrales FSLN Granada María Fernanda Ernestina Flores LanzaPLC Managua María Haydée Osuna Ruiz PLC National María Jilma Rosalez Espinoza FSLN Estelí María Manuela Sacasa Selva FSLN National Mario José Asensio FlorezPLI Managua Mario Valle DávilaFSLN Managua Maritza del Socorro EspinalesFSLN Managua Maryinis Ibet Vallejoz Chavarría FSLN Rivas Mauricio Orúe Vásquez ALN Managua Maximino Rodríguez MartínezPLC – Melba del Socorro Sánchez SuárezFSLN Managua Melvin Martín Argucia PerrottFSLN Nueva Segovia Miguel Anselmo Rosales Ortega PLC National Mirta Mercedes Carrión Cano PLC Chinandega Moisés Omar Halleslevens Acevedo FSLN – Nasser Sebastián Silwany Báez FSLN Masaya Odell Ángel Incer Barquero FSLN Boaco Osorno Salomón Coleman FSLN National Patricia Mercedes Sánchez UrbinaFSLN Managua Paul Antonio González Tenorio PLC Costa Caribe Sur Pedro Antonio Haslam Mendoza FSLN National Pedro Joaquín Treminio Mendoza PLI National Perla Soledad Castillo Quintero FSLN Estelí Reyna Juanita Rueda Alvarado FSLN National Reynaldo Altamirano AlanizPLC Matagalpa Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro FSLN Matagalpa Rosa Argentina Navarro SánchezPLC Managua Rosa Herminia Irias FigueroaFSLN Nueva Segovia Rubén de Jesús Gómez Suárez FSLN Matagalpa Santiago José Martínez Lacayo FSLN Carazo Víctor Octavio Triminio Zavala FSLN Estelí Walmaro Antonio Gutiérrez Mercado FSLN National Walter Edén Espinoza FernándezPLC ManaguaSource:

Central American Parliament

References