DOCSLIB.ORG

Electoral Observation Mission Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Electoral Observation Mission Report 369892_COV:369892_COV 8/25/09 10:58 PM Page 1 OAS/EOM ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION REPORT GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA General Elections, Nicaragua 2006 NOVEMBER 5, 2006 Secretariat for Political Affairs (SPA) Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) Headquarters: Electoral Observation Missions (EOMs) 17th Street & Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 Organization of American States (OAS) USA ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION REPORT GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA November 5, 2006 General Secretariat Organization of American States José Miguel Insulza Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin Assistant Secretary General Dante Caputo Secretary for Political Affairs Pablo Gutiérrez Director Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION REPORT GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA NOVEMBER 5, 2006 Prepared by the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation Electoral Observations in the Americas Series, No. 43 OEA/Ser.D/XX SG/DCOE/II.43 ISBN 978-0-8270-5212-3 CONTENTS PART I: ELECTORAL REPORT ..........................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER I: NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE MISSION ................................................................................7 A. NOTES ON INTERNATIONAL ELECTORAL OBSERVATION ......................................7 B. THE POLITICAL CONTEXT IN NICARAGUA ..................................................................7 C. COMPOSITION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE 2006 NICARAGUA EOM ........................9 CHAPTER II: THE MISSION’S OBSERVATION ACTIVITIES ......................................................................13 A. ATLANTIC COAST ELECTIONS ......................................................................................13 B. REPORTS ..............................................................................................................................14 C. POLITICAL ISSUES ..............................................................................................................14 D. TECHNICAL ELECTORAL ISSUES ..................................................................................16 E. THE NOVEMBER 5 ELECTIONS ......................................................................................21 F. POST-ELECTION PHASE....................................................................................................23 CHAPTER III: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................24 A. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................24 B. RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................24 PART II:TECHNICAL COORDINATION ANALYSIS......................................................................................29 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................31 CHAPTER I: LEGAL FRAMEWORK ..............................................................................................................32 A. POLITICAL CONSTITUTION............................................................................................32 B. ELECTORAL LAW................................................................................................................32 C. RESOLUTIONS ISSUED BY THE CSE ..............................................................................33 D. STRUCTURE OF THE ELECTORAL AUTHORITY ........................................................33 CHAPTER II: ELECTION CALENDAR ............................................................................................................35 CHAPTER III: POLITICAL PARTIES AND ALLIANCES ................................................................................36 CHAPTER IV: VOTER IDENTITY CARDS ......................................................................................................37 A. ISSUANCE OF IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT ............................................................37 B. IDENTIFICATION-RELATED ACTIVITIES ..................................................................37 C. FOLLOW-UP ON CSE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS ......................................................................................................................37 CHAPTER V: ELECTORAL ROLL AND CARTOGRAPHY ..........................................................................39 A. SUPPLEMENTARY VOTING DOCUMENT ......................................................................39 B. COMPOSITION OF VOTER REGISTRY AND ELECTORAL ROLL ............................39 C. ELECTORAL CARTOGRAPHY..........................................................................................40 CHAPTER VI: ELECTION LOGISTICS ............................................................................................................41 A. LOGISTICS FOR CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION PROCESS ........................................41 B. LOGISTICS FOR TRAINING ............................................................................................41 C. PRE-ELECTION ORGANIZATION ..................................................................................42 D. POST-ELECTION ORGANIZATION ................................................................................42 E. INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION ................................................................................42 3 CHAPTER VII: TRAINING ..................................................................................................................................44 A. CSE TRAINING SESSIONS..................................................................................................44 B. TRAINING OF ELECTORAL POLICE ..............................................................................44 C. TRAINING OF POLITICAL PARTIES ..............................................................................45 D. SUPPORT FOR TRAINING BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ..........................................45 CHAPTER VIII: CIVIL SOCIETY ............................................................................................................................46 A. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS..........................................................................................46 B. NATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS ..............................................................................47 C. OPINION SURVEYS AND ELECTORAL PREFERENCE POLLS ..................................47 D. MONITORING OF THE MEDIA ........................................................................................47 E. INFORMATION CAMPAIGN..............................................................................................47 CHAPTER IX: INFORMATION SYSTEMS........................................................................................................48 A. TRANSMISSION OF PRELIMINARY ELECTION RESULTS..........................................48 B. VOTE COMPUTATION........................................................................................................50 C. TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTATION OF PRLELIMINARY ....................................51 ELECTION RESULTS IN THE MANAGUA CEM CHAPTER X: FOLLOW-UP TO COMPLAINTS AND ACCUSATIONS........................................................53 A. PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED....................................................................................................53 CHAPTER XI: FOLLOW-UP TO CHALLENGES..............................................................................................54 CHAPTER XII: OBSERVATION IN THE FIELD ................................................................................................55 A. DEPLOYMENT OF EOM OBSERVERS ............................................................................55 B. REPORTS TO COORDINATORS........................................................................................55 C. OBSERVATION OF PRE-ELECTION PHASE ..................................................................55 D. OBSERVATION OF THE ELECTIONS ..............................................................................56 E. OBSERVATION OF POST-ELECTION PHASE ................................................................57 F. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................57 CHAPTER XIII: MISSION LOGISTICS ................................................................................................................58 CHAPTER XIV: RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................................................................59 PART III: APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................63 4 ELECTORAL REPORT CHAPTER I: NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE MISSION A.NOTES ON INTERNATIONAL ELECTORAL OBSERVATION conditions of security, free access to information, and full cooper- ation with the electoral observation mission. 1. Introduction “Electoral observation missions shall be carried out in accor- Once democracy had been restored in Latin America, following dance with the principles and norms of the OAS. The Organiza- its prolonged gestation in the 1980s, the path to the voting booth
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ortega for President: the Religious Rebirth of Sandinismo in Nicaragua
    European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 89, October 2010 | 47-63 Ortega for President: The Religious Rebirth of Sandinismo in Nicaragua Henri Gooren Abstract: This article analyses various connections between Daniel Ortega’s surprising victory in the presidential elections of 5 November 2006, his control of the Frente Sandinista de la Liberación Nacio- nal (FSLN) party, and the changing religious context in Nicaragua, where Pentecostal churches now claim almost one quarter of the population. To achieve this, I draw from my fieldwork in Nicaragua in 2005 and 2006, which analysed competition for members between various religious groups in Managua: charismatic Catholics, the Assemblies of God, the neo-Pentecostal mega-church Hosanna, and the Mormon Church. How did Ortega manage to win the votes from so many religious people (evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics alike)? And how does this case compare to similar cases of populist leaders in Latin America courting evangelicals, like Chávez in Venezuela and earlier Fujimori in Peru? Keywords: Nicaragua, religion, elections, FSLN, Daniel Ortega. Populist leadership and evangelical support in Latin America At first look, the case of Ortega’s surprise election victory seems to fit an estab- lished pattern in Latin America: the populist leader who comes to power in part by courting – and winning – the evangelical vote. Alberto Fujimori in Peru was the first to achieve this in the early 1990s, followed by Venezuelan lieutenant-colonel Hugo Chávez in the late 1990s and more recently Rafael Correa in Ecuador (Op- penheimer 2006). These three populist leaders came to power thanks to the break- down of an old party system, which gradually became stagnant and corrupted.
    [Show full text]
  • The Carter Center News Spring 1990
    THE CARTER CENTER NEWS SPRING 1990 Carter, Council Monitor Nicaraguan Elections Peaceful Transition of Power First in Country's History On April 25, the Nicaraguan people inaugurated a new president in the first peaceful transfer of power to an elected opposition in the country's history. of Nicaragua chose their new president in a free and fair election," said President Carter, who led an international delegation to monitor the February 25 elections. The delegation was formed under the auspices of the Council of Freely-Elected Heads of Government, chaired by President Carter and based at The Carter Center of Emory University (CCEU). The Council joined delegations from the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) in monitoring the elections. Following the transfer of power from the Sandinista (FSLN) government of Daniel Ortega to the coalition government (UNO) of Violeta Chamorro, President Carter said, "Both Daniel Ortega and Violeta Chamorro deserve the world's respect and admiration for the way they handled the transition. Former President Ortega has set his country on the road to democracy. President Chamorro has been entrusted by the people of Nicaragua with the difficult task of healing the division in that nation and nurturing the newly-born democratic spirit. It is my sincerest hope that peace and democracy will flourish in Nicaragua." The Invitation In the summer of 1989, President Carter and the Council were invited to observe the elections by thenPresident Daniel Ortega, the Union of National Opposition (UNO), and the Supreme Electoral Council. The Nicaraguan election project was directed by Robert Pastor and Jennie Lincoln, director and associate director respectively of CCEU's Latin American and Caribbean Studies program.
    [Show full text]
  • To Latin America's Health
    EDITORIAL To Latin America’s Health Fernando Borgia Latin America has been an immense laboratory Political changes in the application of the neoliberal economic This worsening crisis and the evidence of policies promoted by the World Bank, the economic interests in the invasion of Middle East International Monetary Fund and the countries, both contributed enormously to what Interamerican Development Bank. These policies Eduardo Galeano3 called “the end of fear”. This were followed and promoted through cooperation has been symbolized in Bolivia by the assumption missions by multilateral agencies with the of power by President Evo Morales, representative complicity of sitting governments and local of the indigenous peoples of America. According bourgeoisie. to public opinion polls, in the presidential election However, nowadays Latin America is held on 18 December 2005, none of the candidates witnessing a series of experiments in “counter would obtain the absolute majority (50% plus one) reform.” These can be understood as “progressive necessary to be directly elected, therefore, the reforms” in reaction to former neoliberal programs president would be appointed by the new and some of them are summarized in this editorial. Congress. However, election results gave Evo Morales an absolute majority with more than the Neoliberal heritage 54% of the vote, instead of what previous polls In order to understand their originas it is had showed (37%). Nearly 30% of the electorate important to carefully example a typical example Quechua, and 25% are Aymara. Political of the results of neoliberal policies in Latin instability had been a characteristic of Bolivia’s America: the Argentinean crisis after the Menem recent past.
    [Show full text]
  • The November 2011 Elections in Nicaragua: a Study Mission Report of the Carter Center
    The November 2011 Elections in Nicaragua Study Mission Report Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. The November 2011 Elections in Nicaragua: A Study Mission Report of the Carter Center THE NOVEMBER 2011 ELECTIONS IN NICARAGUA: A STUDY MISSION REPORT OF THE CARTER CENTER OVERVIEW On November 6, 2011 Nicaragua held general elections for president and vice president, national and departmental deputies to the National Assembly, and members of the Central American Parliament. Fraudulent local elections in 2008, a questionable Supreme Court decision in October 2009 to permit the candidacy of incumbent President Daniel Ortega, and a presidential decree in January 2010 extending the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) magistrates in office after their terms expired provided the context for a deeply flawed election process. Partisan election preparations were followed by a non-transparent election day and count. The conditions for international and domestic election observation, and for party oversight, were insufficient to permit verification of compliance with election procedures and Nicaraguan electoral law, and numerous anomalies cast doubt on the quality of the process and honesty of the vote count. The most important opposition party rejected the election as fraudulent but took its seats in the legislature. Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council dismissed opposition complaints and announced that President Daniel Ortega had been re-elected to a third term. In addition, the official results showed that Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) party had won enough legislative seats both to reform articles of the constitution (requires a 60% majority) and to call a constituent assembly to write a new constitution (requires 66%).
    [Show full text]
  • Nicaragua | Freedom House
    Nicaragua | Freedom House http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2012/nicaragua About Us DONATE Blog Contact Us REGIONS ISSUES Reports Programs Initiatives News Experts Events Donate FREEDOM IN THE WORLD Nicaragua Nicaragua Freedom in the World 2012 OVERVIEW: 2012 In November 2011, President Daniel Ortega was re-elected by an SCORES overwhelming margin and his party, the Sandanista National Liberation Front, won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. There were STATUS concerns about the legality of Ortega’s candidacy, as well as transparency issues and other irregularities during the election. Partly Although international observers found no evidence of widespread fraud, serious concerns remained about the politicization of institutions and the Free rule of law. FREEDOM RATING The independent Republic of Nicaragua was established in 1838, 17 years 4.5 after the end of Spanish rule. Its subsequent history has been marked by CIVIL LIBERTIES internal strife and dictatorship. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), a leftist rebel group, overthrew the authoritarian regime of the Somoza 4 family in 1979. The FSLN then moved to establish a left-wing government, leading to a civil war. The United States intervened, in part by supporting POLITICAL RIGHTS irregular rebel forces known as the contras. In 1990, National Opposition Union presidential candidate Violeta Chamorro 5 defeated the FSLN’s Daniel Ortega in free and open elections, leading to a peaceful transfer of power. Before leaving office, however, the Sandinistas revised laws and sold off state property to party leaders, ensuring that they would retain political and economic clout. Former Managua mayor Arnoldo Alemán of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) defeated Ortega in the 1996 presidential election, but he was accused of corruption throughout his ensuing presidency.
    [Show full text]
  • Cuando La Vida Era Tranquila: Land Use And
    SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2018 Cuando la vida era tranquila: Land use and livelihood changes following the construction of the Chan 75 dam in Nance del Risco, Bocas del Toro Patrick McKenzie SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Earth Sciences Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Natural Resource Economics Commons, and the Nature and Society Relations Commons Recommended Citation McKenzie, Patrick, "Cuando la vida era tranquila: Land use and livelihood changes following the construction of the Chan 75 dam in Nance del Risco, Bocas del Toro" (2018). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2796. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2796 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Cuando la vida era tranquila: Land use and livelihood changes following the construction of the Chan 75 dam in Nance del Risco, Bocas del Toro Patrick McKenzie School for International Training: Panama Spring 2018 Abstract The Ngobe are Panama’s most populous indigenous group. While the Ngobe that live in the comarca have land and resource rights, those that live immediately outside of it do not. This issue has been exacerbated by the creation of Palo Seco Forest Reserve which has removed all land rights from the Ngobe living within it.
    [Show full text]
  • Organization of American States Electoral Observation Mission Municipal Elections Nicaragua
    ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS NICARAGUA November 5, 2017 FINAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS I. FINAL REPORT TO THE PERMANENT COUNCIL ...............................................................................1 1. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................. 1 2. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 3. PRE-ELECTORAL STAGE .................................................................................................................... 2 4. ELECTION DAY .................................................................................................................................. 4 5. POST-ELECTORAL STAGE .................................................................................................................. 6 6. RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 7 6.1. Electoral Organization and Technology ................................................................................. 7 6.2. Voter Registry ......................................................................................................................... 9 6.3. The Electoral Branch ............................................................................................................ 11 6.4. Election dispute resolution
    [Show full text]
  • Spanglish Code-Switching in Latin Pop Music: Functions of English and Audience Reception
    Spanglish code-switching in Latin pop music: functions of English and audience reception A corpus and questionnaire study Magdalena Jade Monteagudo Master’s thesis in English Language - ENG4191 Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Spring 2020 II Spanglish code-switching in Latin pop music: functions of English and audience reception A corpus and questionnaire study Magdalena Jade Monteagudo Master’s thesis in English Language - ENG4191 Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Spring 2020 © Magdalena Jade Monteagudo 2020 Spanglish code-switching in Latin pop music: functions of English and audience reception Magdalena Jade Monteagudo http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo IV Abstract The concept of code-switching (the use of two languages in the same unit of discourse) has been studied in the context of music for a variety of language pairings. The majority of these studies have focused on the interaction between a local language and a non-local language. In this project, I propose an analysis of the mixture of two world languages (Spanish and English), which can be categorised as both local and non-local. I do this through the analysis of the enormously successful reggaeton genre, which is characterised by its use of Spanglish. I used two data types to inform my research: a corpus of code-switching instances in top 20 reggaeton songs, and a questionnaire on attitudes towards Spanglish in general and in music. I collected 200 answers to the questionnaire – half from American English-speakers, and the other half from Spanish-speaking Hispanics of various nationalities.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Download Complimentary
    April 2012, Volume 23, Number 2 $12.00 The Languages of the Arab Revolutions Abdou Filali-Ansary The Freedom House Survey for 2011 Arch Puddington Tunisia’s Transition and the Twin Tolerations Alfred Stepan Forrest D. Colburn & Arturo Cruz S. on Nicaragua Ernesto Calvo & M. Victoria Murillo on Argentina’s Elections Arthur Goldsmith on “Bottom-Billion” Elections Ashutosh Varshney on “State-Nations” Tsveta Petrova on Polish Democracy Promotion Democracy and the State in Southeast Asia Thitinan Pongsudhirak Martin Gainsborough Dan Slater Donald K. Emmerson personalism and populism in nicaragua Forrest D. Colburn and Arturo Cruz S. Forrest D. Colburn is a professor at the City University of New York and visiting professor at the INCAE Business School. Arturo Cruz S., a professor at the INCAE Business School, was Nicaragua’s ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2009. Together they are the authors of Varieties of Liberalism in Central America (2007). Ideological debates in Latin America can sometimes obfuscate en- during styles of governing characterized by personalism and its hand- maiden, populism. What explains the persistence of personalism and the allure of populism? How do personalism and populism mesh with either socialism or liberal democracy? Why—or how—do personalism and populism “crowd out” the ideals and institutions of particular re- gime types, in effect neutering them? The case of Nicaragua—whose citizens in November 2011 returned former revolutionary leader and in- cumbent president Daniel Ortega to office despite a constitutional ban on consecutive terms—offers a poignant example of the persistence of personalism as well as some tentative answers to these vexing questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Spotlight on Nicaragua
    February 16, 2021 CLOSING OF POLITICAL AND CIVIC SPACES: SPOTLIGHT ON NICARAGUA TABLE OF CONTENTS February 16 Agenda ................................................................................................................ 2 Part I: Nicaraguan Spring: The Rise & Repression of a Protest Movement ............. 5 State-Sponsored Violence & the Closing of Political Space Part II: How Did We Get Here? Background on the Current Political Landscape ... 7 State-Sponsored Violence & the Closing of Political Space El Pacto: Leftist on Paper but Not in Practice Questionable Reelections Reforms Favor Authoritarianism An Economy in Ruins Impacts of COVID-19 and Hurricanes Eta & Iota The 2021 Election Part III: Recent Laws Limiting Civic Space .......................................................................... 15 Law of Regulation of Foreign Agents Special Law of Cybercrimes Law of Life Sentence Law of Defense of the Rights of the People to Independence, Sovereignty, Self-determination for the Peace Penal Code Reform A Diverse and Divided Opposition Civic Alliance for Justice & Democracy White & Blue Unity Great National Coalition Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights U.S. Policy and the Biden Administration’s Challenges Speaker Biographies ................................................................................................................ 24 1 February 16, 2021 AGENDA AGENDA Welcome & Introduction Introduction to Topics for Meeting Understanding the Current Context of Nicaragua • Current Political
    [Show full text]
  • Riaa Gold & Platinum Awards
    7/1/2015 — 7/31/2015 In July 2015, RIAA certified 118 Digital Single Awards and 9 Album Awards. Complete lists of all album, single and video awards dating all the way back to 1958 can be accessed at riaa.com. RIAA GOLD & JULY 2015 PLATINUM AWARDS DIGITAL MULTI-PLATINUM SINGLE (44) Cert Date Title Artist Label Plat Level Rel. Date 7/27/2015 SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT 5 SECONDS OF CAPITOL RECORDS 2 2/14/2014 SUMMER 7/27/2015 POMPEII BASTILLE VIRGIN RECORDS 5 5/28/2013 7/27/2015 POMPEII BASTILLE VIRGIN RECORDS 4 5/28/2013 7/8/2015 SHOWER BECKY G KEMOSABE RECORDS 2 9/2/2014 7/27/2015 MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN FALL OUT BOY ISLAND RECORDS 4 4/16/2013 THE DARK (LIGHT EM UP) 7/27/2015 MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN FALL OUT BOY ISLAND RECORDS 5 4/16/2013 THE DARK (LIGHT EM UP) 7/1/2015 RIGHT ROUND FLO RIDA POE BOY/ATLANTIC 6 2/15/2009 7/13/2015 LIGHTS GOULDING, ELLIE INTERSCOPE/GEFFEN/A&M 5 3/8/2011 7/15/2015 HONEY, I’M GOOD GRAMMER, ANDY S-CURVE RECORDS 2 8/5/2014 7/27/2015 BAILANDO IGLESIAS, ENRIQUE REPUBLIC RECORDS 2 3/18/2014 7/27/2015 BAILANDO IGLESIAS, ENRIQUE REPUBLIC RECORDS 3 3/18/2014 7/6/2015 RADIOACTIVE IMAGINE DRAGONS KIDINAKORNER/INTERSCOPE 10 3/6/2012 RECORDS 7/27/2015 JEALOUS JONAS, NICK ISLAND RECORDS/ 3 9/8/2014 SAFE HOUSE RECORDS 7/16/2015 THEN PAISLEY, BRAD ARISTA NASHVILLE 2 3/17/2009 7/16/2015 SHE’S EVERYTHING PAISLEY, BRAD ARISTA NASHVILLE 2 8/16/2005 7/16/2015 WHISKEY LULLABY PAISLEY, BRAD ARISTA NASHVILLE 2 7/1/2003 FEATURING ALISON KRAUSS www.riaa.com GoldandPlatinum @RIAA @riaa_awards JULY 2015 DIGITAL MULTI-PLATINUM SINGLE (44) continued..
    [Show full text]
  • Nicaraguan Sandinismo, Back from the Dead?
    NICARAGUAN SANDINISMO, BACK FROM THE DEAD? An anthropological study of popular participation within the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional by Johannes Wilm Submitted to be examined as part of a PhD degree for the Anthropology Department, 1 Goldsmiths College, University of London 2 Nicaraguan Sandinismo, back from the Dead? An anthropological study of popular participation within the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional I declare that this thesis is entirely my own work and that the thesis presented is the one upon which I expect to be examined. The copyright holders of the included photos/pictures are mentioned in the caption. Usage rights for purposes that go beyond the reproduction of this book either in its entirety or of entire chapters, must be obtained individually from the mentioned copyright holders. When no copyright holder is mentioned in the caption, I was the photographer. The photos taken by me can be used for other purposes without prior consent, as long as the photographer is mentioned in all forms of publication where the photos appear. Johannes Wilm 3 Abstract Thirty years after redefining the political landscape of Nicaragua, Sandinismo is both a unifying discourse and one driven by different interpretations by adherents. This thesis examines the complex legacy of Sandinismo by focusing on the still widely acclaimed notion of Sandinismo as an idiom of popular participation. A central point is the current unity of the movement, as it is perceived by Sandinistas, depends on a limited number of common reference points over the last 100 years of Nicaraguan history, which are interpreted very differently Sandinistas and other groups, but which always emphasise the part Nicaraguans play in international relations and the overall importance of popular mass participation in Nicaraguan politics, rather than agreement on current, day-to-day politics.
    [Show full text]