Electoral tribunal related to Daniel Ortega withdrew a significant opposition bloc from presidential election

The Nicaragua electoral court, controlled by members belonging to Daniel Ortega’s regime, was out of the presidential election in November, a key opposition bloc led by the Democratic Restoration Party (PRD).Informed the leader of the group.

The Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) “resolved to revoke the PRD’s legal status,” the group’s president, Saturnino Serrato, told the press after receiving the notification. Without legal status, the party cannot stand for elections and alliances with them also leave the race.

The PRD sought to represent a region of opposition grouped into the National Alliance (CN), composed of Sandinista dissent and several movements that were instrumental in the 2018 protests in which they called for the resignation of the socialist Ortega.Has been in power since 2007.

According to Cerrato, the CSE said it took the decision on Monday after a challenge was filed by a group of priests against the PRD, an evangelical party.

The PRD leader explained that some evangelical “priests” accused him of joining opposition areas that support issues such as abortion and respect for sexual minorities., Which they consider to be “incompatible” with their Christian values.

Serrato stated that the complainants do not have the power to request the party’s suspension, as they are not part of it.

CSE’s proposals are “unapproachable”, he explained, and the bloc was excluded from legislative and presidential elections on 7 November.

“It is a completely illegal electoral process with the prohibition of the main opposition political force, whose members have played a relevant and decisive role in the protests.“In 2018, one of the members of this coalition opposed the union Democratica Renovadora (Unamos), which was made up of dissidents of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).

With the exit of the PRD, the opposition will have a coalition composed of only one indigenous party and the rightist regions, the Ciudadanos por la Libertad (CXL), in the competition.

Sandinismo, for its part, will participate with the “Unida Nicaragua Triunfa” coalition., Who does not rule out nominating 75-year-old Ortega for a fourth consecutive term.

His government has been approved by the United States, which accuses him of corruption and human rights violations in opposition protests.

For Ortega Executive, The 2018 protest constituted an unsuccessful coup promoted by the United States.

Candidates should be defined in July.

For opposition Unamos, the government has “marked this electoral process with many traps and threats.”

With information from AFP

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