Nicaragua's Ortega: President for life?
鈥⑻�听A version of this story ran on the author's site, . The views expressed are the author's own.
Nicaragua鈥檚 25 opposition lawmakers walked out on the National Assembly Tuesday after failing to stop the Sandinista supermajority from steamrolling their new Constitution into law, clearing the way for President Daniel Ortega鈥檚 indefinite reelection.
The Sandinista reforms were passed in the second round of voting, with 64 鈥測eas鈥� and 25 鈥渘ays.鈥� The voting was along strict party lines.
The two dozen opposition lawmakers belonging to the minority Independent Liberal Party Alliance (BAPLI) abandoned the legislative chamber after casting their protest vote. The opposition claims the new Sandinista reforms were passed without any meaningful consultation of the public, and will serve only to weaken Nicaragua鈥檚 democracy and strengthen President Ortega鈥檚 grip on power.
Opposition congresswoman Mar铆a Eugenia Sequeira, second vice-president of the National Assembly, said the people of Nicaragua 鈥済ain nothing鈥� from the new Constitution because it will not improve unemployment, education, healthcare, or housing problems. Instead, the congresswoman says, the Sandinista Constitution focuses primarily on foisting its partisan ideology upon the rest of the country.
鈥淲hat do the Nicaraguan people gain from the indefinite reelection of the president, when we already know from past experiences the consequences that brings?鈥� Ms. Sequiera said.
Sandinista lawmakers approved in line-item vote 26 of the 51 articles of the new Constitution on Tuesday and the rest are scheduled to be rubber-stamped today, without the participation of the opposition.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need, and never will need, a Somoza or an Ortega perpetuating himself in power forever,鈥� said opposition lawmaker Alberto Lacayo.
- A version of this story ran on the author's website,
