海角大神

鈥⑻�听A version of this story ran on the author's site, . The views expressed are the author's own.

Opposition lawmakers in Nicaragua are lambasting an unannounced and unilateral decision by the ruling Sandinista Front to cut Internet service to all congressmen inside the legislative chamber of the National Assembly.

On Tuesday, lawmakers showed up to work to find that their computers in the legislative chamber no longer have Internet access. The restrictive measure, according to veteran Sandinista congressman Jos茅 Figueroa, was implemented to prevent lawmakers from wasting time on Facebook or Cartoonnetwork.com.

鈥淭his is a measure to get all the lawmakers to focus only on their legislative work. All the social networks, personal emails and personal information can be looked at in their offices, because each lawmaker has his or her office,鈥� Mr. Figueroa told El Nuevo Diario.

Figueroa said lawmakers in the legislative chamber will be limited to accessing the National Assembly鈥檚 webpage and their daily work agenda, which will be facilitated by a closed-circuit intranet system. Predictably, other Sandinista lawmakers have closed ranks and applauded the administrative decision.

But opposition lawmakers argue the move is an 鈥渁bsurd鈥� and 鈥渁uthoritarian鈥� attempt by Sandinistas to control access to information, limit lawmakers from interacting with constituents and deterring informed debate in the National Assembly.

鈥淭his is a form of censorship, similar to what you see from the governments of Cuba, Iran, and China,鈥� says Liberal Party lawmaker Carlos Langrand. 鈥淚nformation is power; it helps inform debates in the National Assembly and allows lawmakers to connect with voters through social media, as well as remain up-to-date on what is happening in the world.鈥�

Mr. Langrand thinks the Sandinistas鈥� decision to take the legislative chamber offline demonstrates the ruling party鈥檚 鈥渇ear of information flow鈥� and is an attempt by Nicaragua鈥檚 establishment to 鈥渟uppress the freedom of expression by cutting off communication with the outside world.鈥�

In a country with less than 10 percent Internet connectivity, restricting Internet use in the National Assembly doesn鈥檛 seem to be consistent with national efforts to close the digital divide or modernize government, says Sandinista dissident lawmaker Victor Hugo Tinoco, of the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS).

鈥淭his is an absurd decision. The Internet is an important tool that we use to inform debate. When we are discussing economic matters, we often use Internet to refer to statistics published on the Central Bank鈥檚 webpage,鈥� Mr. Tinoco says.

Tinoco noted that the international community has gone to great efforts to help Nicaragua鈥檚 National Assembly modernize with technology, computers, and Internet access. To now limit those advances makes no sense, he says.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 next?鈥� Tinoco demanded. 鈥淩emoving Internet from schools and universities because it鈥檚 a distraction from learning?鈥�

Langrand admits that there are some uninterested and disengaged lawmakers who waste their time fooling around online. But he claims those are mostly low-ranking Sandinista lawmakers whose job it is to vote piously and unquestioningly for their party鈥檚 position, which is handed down from the presidency and not subject for debate.

鈥淭hose are the lawmakers who spend all day on Facebook or playing online solitaire, because there is no room for dissent or debate in the ranks of the Sandinista Front. But the opposition is more interested in debating legislation,鈥� he says.

Both Langrand and Tinoco say their opposition legislative blocs are scheduled to meet this week to file an official appeal or protest of the Internet ban.

鈥� A version of this blog ran on the author's website,

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