Observing Nicaragua's Elections, 1989-1990 The Carter Center May 1990 COUNCIL OF FREELY-ELECTED Delegation to Observe the Members, Representatives, and Staff of the Council Hon. Jimmy Carter, Former President of the United States and Chairman of the Council Hon. George Price, Prime Minister of Belize and Vice-Chairman of the Council Hon. Rafael Caldera, Former President of Venezuela and Member of the Executive Committee of the Council Hon. Daniel Oduber, Former President of Costa Rica and Member of the Executive Committee of the Council Hon. Raul Alfonsín, Former President of Argentina Hon. Alfonso López Michelsen, Former President of Colombia Hon. Rodrigo Carazo Odio, Former President of Costa Rica Hon. David Morales Bello, Venezuelan Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Representative of Council Member President Carlos Andrés Pérez Dra. Beatrice Rangel, Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Presidency; Representative of President Carlos Andrés Pérez Hon. O.D. Ramtallie, Minister of Construction of Jamaica and Vice President of the People's National Party, and Representative of Council Member Prime Minister Michael Manley Dr. Robert Pastor, Executive Secretary of the Council; Professor of Political Science, Emory University; Director, Latin American and Caribbean Program, CCEU Dr. Jennie Lincoln, Associate Director, Latin American Program, CCEU Ms. Sandy Reiss, Administrative Assistant, Latin American Program, CCEU Other Members of the Delegation Honorable Daniel Evans, Former U.S. Senator and Governor of Washington; Co-leader of the U.S. group with President Carter Mr. Genaro Arriagada, Vice-President, Christian Democratic Party (Chile) Hon. Bruce Babbitt, Former Governor of Arizona Mrs. Harriet Babbitt, Attorney with Robbins and Green, Arizona Mrs. Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Attorney, Washington, D.C. Mr. Leopold Berlanger, President, Haitian International Institute for Research and Development Hon. Douglas Bereuter, U.S. House of Representatives (Repub.-Nebraska); Member, House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Hon. David Bonior, U.S. House of Representatives (Dem.-Michigan); Chief Deputy Majority Whip Mrs. Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States Hon. John Danforth, United States Senate (Repub.-Missouri); Member, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Hon. Christopher Dodd, United States Senate (Dem.-Connecticut); Chairman, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere and Peace Corps Affairs, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hon. Elton Gallegly, U.S. House of Representatives (Repub.-Calif.); Member, Foreign Affairs Committee Father Fernando Guardia, Church Coordinator of the Panamanian Independent Vote Count Hon. Ben Jones, U.S. House of Representatives (Dem.-Georgia); Member, Public Works and Transportation Committee HEADS OF GOVERNMENT Nicaraguan Electoral Process Hon. Patrick Leahy, United States Senate (Dem.-Vermont); Chairman, Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Senate Appropriations Committee Hon. Ambler Moss, Dean, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Miami; U.S. Ambassador to Panama (1978-1982) Hon. Donal (Mike) O'Callaghan, Former Governor of Nevada Hon. Claiborne Pell, United States Senate (Dem.-Rhode Island); Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hon. Larry Pressler, United States Senate (Repub.-S.D.); Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hon. Bill Richardson, U.S. House of Representatives (Dem.-New Mexico); Member, House Select Committee on Intelligence Hon. Olympia Snowe, U.S. House of Representatives (Repub.-Maine); Member, Foreign Affairs Committee Mr. Maurice Sonnenberg, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Democratic House and Senate Council Hon. John Whitehead, Former Deputy Secretary of State (1985-89); Chairman of AEA Investors, Inc. Council's Nicaraguan Elections Project - Managua Office Dr. Jennifer McCoy, Director Ms. Leticia Martinez, Coordinator of Logistics Ms. Liliana Cisneros, Administrative Assistant Special Consultants/Staff During the Election Mr. Raul Alconada (Argentina) Ms. Yunit Armengal, Interpreter for Delegation Visits Mr. Eric Bord, Emory University Mrs. Maria Esperanza Grau de Carreras (Costa Rica) Mr. Santiago Canton (Argentina) Mr. John Chambers, Senate Intelligence Committee Staff Mr. Geryld Christianson, Staff Director, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mrs. Linda Cisneros (Nicaragua) Mr. Robert Dockery, Aide to Senator Christopher Dodd Mr. Rodolfo Echevarria, Aide to President Rodrigo Carazo Mr. James Gallagher, House Republican Study Committee Mr. Luis Miguel Gonzalez (Venezuela) Dr. George Lawton (USA) Ms. Patricia Mayorga (Nicaragua) Dr. Richard Millett, Southern Illinois University Ms. Janice O'Connell, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Mr. Daniel Romero (Venezuela) Mr. José Sandoval (USA) Ms. Nina Serafino, Congressional Research Service Ms. Janet Shenk, Executive Director, Arca Foundation Mr. Barry Sklar, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Mr. David Trauman, Interpreter for Delegation Visits Mrs. Myrna Torres (Nicaragua) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. List of Members of the Delegation and Staff 2. Map of Nicaragua 3. Foreword by Hon. Jimmy Carter 4. Preface and Acknowledgments by Dr. Robert A. Pastor 5. Executive Summary I. Background to the Nicaraguan Elections, 1990 • Nicaraguan Politics and the Central American Peace Plan • Invitation to the Council to Monitor the Elections II. Pre-Election Activities of the Council of Freely-Elected Heads of Government III. Election Day Observation • Voting Process • Counting Procedure • The Observers' Independent Vote Counts • Election Night IV. Election Results and Analysis V. The Transition VI. Inauguration and the Transfer of Power 6. List of Tables I. Summary of Voting Sites (JRV's) Observed by Council II. Presidential Vote Results by Party III. Distribution of UNO Seats in the National Assembly IV. Presidential, Legislative, Municipal, and Autonomy Council Results by Region 7. Appendices [See list below] 8. Press Clippings APPENDICES 1. Background on Council of Freely-Elected Heads of Government 2. Hon. Jimmy Carter's letter to the Organization of American States on Panama, May 17, 1989 3. Letter from Hon. Jimmy Carter to President Daniel Ortega, June 30, 1989 4. Invitations to former President Carter to observe Nicaraguan elections from President Daniel Ortega (August 3, 1989), Mariano Fiallos, President of the Supreme Electoral Council (August 4, 1989), and Gustavo Tablada, Coordinator of the International Relations Commission of the National Opposition Union (UNO) (August 7, 1989), and response by Carter (August 8, 1989) 5. The Political Accord of August 3-4, 1990 6. Candidates for President and Vice President 7. Political Parties in Nicaragua 8. September Pre-Election Trip Report, led by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Raul Alfonsin, September 14-16, 1989 9. Letter from Jimmy Carter to President Daniel Ortega and Brooklyn Rivera on the return of Yatama Indian leaders, September 22, 1989 10. October Pre-Election Trip Report, led by former President Rafael Caldera and Gov. Bruce Babbitt, October 20-23, 1989 11. Voter Registration Figures 12. Symposium on the Nicaraguan Elections, Carter Center of Emory University, November 14, 1989: Agenda 13. Excerpts from the Symposium 14. December Pre-Election Trip Report, led by Jimmy Carter, former President Daniel Oduber, and Gov. Daniel Evans, December 13-16, 1989 15. Decrees on Campaign Violence of the Supreme Electoral Council of December 16 and 16/18, 1989 16. January Pre-Election Trip Report, led by Jimmy Carter, former President Alfonso Lopez Michelsen, and Senator John Danforth, January 26-28, 1990 17. Agreement on the Release of Funds to UNO and IPCE, January 28, 1990 18. February Pre-Election Trip Report, led by Prime Minister George Price, former President Rodrigo Carazo, and Senator Christopher Dodd, February 8-11, 1990 19. Supreme Electoral Council Decree on Announcement of Election Results, February 19, 1990 20. Itinerary for Council's Election Visit 21. Arrival Statements by Jimmy Carter and Prime Minister George Price, February 23, 1990 22. Joint Statement of the Council of Freely-Elected Heads of Government, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, and the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General on the Election Campaign, February 24, 1990 23. Election-Day Observation A. Deployments of Teams to all 9 regions B. Council Observation Form C. Council/OAS Quick Count Form 24. Statements by President Daniel Ortega, Sra. Violeta de Chamorro, and President George Bush, February 26, 1990 25. List of Members of the Legislative Assembly 26. Transcript of Remarks by Jimmy Carter at Department of State, February 28, 1990; Statement by the Department of State on Nicaragua, March 2, 1990 27. Protocol of Transition Between the Outgoing and Incoming Administrations, March 27, 1990 28. Letters from Jimmy Carter to Mrs. Chamorro and Daniel Ortega, April 25, 1990 29. Excerpts from Inaugural address of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, April 25, 1990 • Selected Bibliography on Nicaragua, Election Observation Reports, and Democracy Foreword In November 1986, former President Gerald Ford and I co-chaired a Consultation at The Carter Center of Emory University on "Reinforcing Democracy in the Americas." Ten current and former Heads of Government from throughout the hemisphere joined us, together with some of the best scholars of democratization in the world. This group then addressed the question of why the pendulum had swung between dictatorship and democracy in Latin America and the