Politics of Nicaragua
Encyclopedia
Nicaragua
is a presidential
representative democratic
republic
, in which the President of Nicaragua
is both head of state
and head of government
, and there is a multi-party system
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the National Assembly
. The judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
constitution which gave extensive new powers and independence to the National Assembly
, including permitting the Assembly to override a presidential veto
with a simple majority vote and eliminating the president
's ability to pocket veto a bill. Both the president and the members of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to concurrent five-year terms.
|Daniel Ortega
|FSLN
|10 January 2007
|-
|Vice President
|Jaime Morales Carazo
|
|10 January 2007
|}
The president and the vice-president are elected for a single non-renewable five-year term. The president appoints the Council of Ministers.
(Asamblea Nacional) consists of 90 deputies elected from party lists drawn at the department and national level, plus the outgoing president and the runner-up in the presidential race, for a total of 92. In the 2001 elections, the PLC
and its allies won 52 seats, the FSLN won 37 seats, and the Conservative Party 1 seat. In addition, ex-president Arnoldo Alemán
assumed a seat, as did runner-up Daniel Ortega
. During the 2002 legislative term, Alemán would have served as President of the National Assembly; however, he and other members of his family were charged with corruption in December 2002, and on 7 December 2003 he was sentenced to a 20-year prison term for a string of crimes including money laundering
, embezzlement
and corruption
.
(CSE) is the co-equal branch of government responsible for organizing and conducting elections, plebiscites, and referendums. The magistrates and their alternates are elected to 5-year terms by the National Assembly. Constitutional changes in 2000 expanded the number of CSE magistrates from five to seven and gave the PLC and the FSLN a freer hand to name party activists to the council, prompting allegations that both parties were politicizing electoral institutions and processes and excluding smaller political parties.
ized. Workers have the right to strike. Collective bargaining
is becoming more common in the private sector.
, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, León, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rivas, Río San Juan
, as well as in 2 autonomous regions : Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte
and Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur
.
said March 6, 2008 that the nation is breaking relations with Colombia
"in solidarity with the Ecuador
an people", following the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis
. The relations were restored soon after.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
is a presidential
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, in which the President of Nicaragua
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
is both head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and there is a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and the National Assembly
National Assembly of Nicaragua
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua.-Composition:The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral body....
. The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Constitution
In 1995, the executive and legislative branches negotiated a reform of the 1987 SandinistaSandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
constitution which gave extensive new powers and independence to the National Assembly
National Assembly of Nicaragua
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua.-Composition:The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral body....
, including permitting the Assembly to override a presidential veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
with a simple majority vote and eliminating the president
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
's ability to pocket veto a bill. Both the president and the members of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to concurrent five-year terms.
Executive branch
|PresidentPresident of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
|Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
|FSLN
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
|10 January 2007
|-
|Vice President
Vice President of Nicaragua
Vice President of Nicaragua is the second highest political position in Nicaragua. According to the current constitution, vice president in elected in the same ticket as president.-Deputy Chief of State 1826-1838:...
|Jaime Morales Carazo
Jaime Morales Carazo
Jaime Rene Morales Carazo is a Nicaraguan politician currently serving as the country's Vice President.Morales was a banker and organized educational economical institutions in Nicaragua before entering politics in 1980. From 1979 to 1990 he lived in Honduras and Mexico while opposing the...
|
|10 January 2007
|}
The president and the vice-president are elected for a single non-renewable five-year term. The president appoints the Council of Ministers.
Legislative branch
The National AssemblyNational Assembly of Nicaragua
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua.-Composition:The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral body....
(Asamblea Nacional) consists of 90 deputies elected from party lists drawn at the department and national level, plus the outgoing president and the runner-up in the presidential race, for a total of 92. In the 2001 elections, the PLC
Constitutional Liberal Party
The Constitutionalist Liberal Party is an opposition political party in Nicaragua. At the legislative elections, held on 5 November 2006, the party won 25 of 92 seats in the National Assembly....
and its allies won 52 seats, the FSLN won 37 seats, and the Conservative Party 1 seat. In addition, ex-president Arnoldo Alemán
Arnoldo Alemán
José Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo was the 81st President of Nicaragua from 10 January 1997 to 10 January 2002.-Biography:Alemán was born in Managua and received his early education at the La Salle institute in Managua...
assumed a seat, as did runner-up Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
. During the 2002 legislative term, Alemán would have served as President of the National Assembly; however, he and other members of his family were charged with corruption in December 2002, and on 7 December 2003 he was sentenced to a 20-year prison term for a string of crimes including money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
and corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
.
Political parties and elections
Judicial branch
The Supreme Court supervises the functioning of the still largely ineffective and overburdened judicial system. As part of the 1995 constitutional reforms, the independence of the Supreme Court was strengthened by increasing the number of magistrates from 9 to 12. In 2000, the number of Supreme Court Justices was increased to 16. Supreme Court justices are nominated by the political parties and elected to 5-year terms by the National Assembly.Electoral branch
Led by a council of seven magistrates, the Supreme Electoral CouncilSupreme Electoral Council
The Supreme Electoral Council is an autonomous, public organization responsible for organizing elections in Nicaragua....
(CSE) is the co-equal branch of government responsible for organizing and conducting elections, plebiscites, and referendums. The magistrates and their alternates are elected to 5-year terms by the National Assembly. Constitutional changes in 2000 expanded the number of CSE magistrates from five to seven and gave the PLC and the FSLN a freer hand to name party activists to the council, prompting allegations that both parties were politicizing electoral institutions and processes and excluding smaller political parties.
Human rights
Freedom of speech is a right guaranteed by the Nicaraguan constitution and vigorously exercised by its people. Diverse viewpoints are freely and openly discussed in the media and in academia. There is no state censorship in Nicaragua. Other constitutional freedoms include peaceful assembly and association, freedom of religion, and freedom of movement within the country, as well as foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation. The government also permits domestic and international human rights monitors to operate freely in Nicaragua. The constitution prohibits discrimination based on birth, nationality, political belief, race, gender, language, religion, opinion, national origin, economic or social condition. However, homosexuality is un-criminalized. All public and private sector workers, except the military and the police, are entitled to form and join unions of their own choosing, and they exercise this right extensively. Nearly half of Nicaragua's work force, including agricultural workers, is unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ized. Workers have the right to strike. Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
is becoming more common in the private sector.
Administrative divisions
Nicaragua is divided in 15 departments : Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, ChontalesChontales
Chontales is a department in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 6,481.27 km² and has a population of 182,000 . The capital is Juigalpa.-Municipalities:# Acoyapa# Comalapa# El Coral# Juigalpa# La Libertad# San Francisco de Cuapa...
, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, León, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rivas, Río San Juan
Río San Juan
Río San Juan may refer to* Río San Juan , Nicaragua* Río San Juan, Dominican Republic* Río San Juan, north-eastern Venezuela* Río San Juan , Mexico...
, as well as in 2 autonomous regions : Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte , sometimes shortened to RAAN, is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 32,159 km² and has a population of 249,700 . It is the largest autonomous region or department in Nicaragua...
and Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur , sometimes shortened to RAAS, is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 27,407 km² and has a population of 382,100...
.
Foreign relations
Nicaragua President Daniel OrtegaDaniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
said March 6, 2008 that the nation is breaking relations with Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
"in solidarity with the Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
an people", following the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis
2008 Andean diplomatic crisis
The 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis was a diplomatic stand-off between the South American countries of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. It began with an incursion into Ecuadorian territory across the Putumayo River by the Colombian military on March 1, 2008, leading to the deaths of over twenty...
. The relations were restored soon after.
Political pressure groups
Some political pressure groups are:- National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions, including
- Farm Workers Association or ATC
- Health Workers Federation or FETSALUD
- Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO
- National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN
- National Union of Employees or UNE
- National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG
- Sandinista Workers' Centre or CST
- Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN
- Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions, including
- Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A
- Confederation of Labour UnificationConfederation of Labour UnificationThe Confederación de Unificación Sindical is a national trade union center in Nicaragua. It was formed in 1964 as the Nicaraguan Trade Union Council ....
or CUS - Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I
- Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS
- Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union
- Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of business groups