The Special Electoral Tribunal of Daniel Ortega withdrew from the presidential elections, an important opposition bloc

The Nicaraguan Electoral Court, controlled by members associated with the regime of Daniel Ortega, left a major opposition bloc led by the Democratic Reform Party (PRD) from the presidential election in November.Inform the group leader.

The head of the group, Saturnino Cerrato, told the press after receiving the notification that the Supreme Electoral Council had “decided to abolish the legal status of the PRD.” Without legal status, a party cannot run for elections and whoever is allied with it leaves the race as well.

The PRD sought to represent a sector of the opposition affiliated with the National Coalition, which was made up of the Sandinista split and many of the movements that were central to the 2018 protests, in which they demanded the resignation of the socialist Ortega., In power since 2007.

According to Cerato, CSE said it made the decision after an appeal by a group of pastors on Monday against the PRD, an evangelical party.

The PRD leader explained that some evangelical “presumed priests” accused him of joining opposition sectors that support issues such as abortion and respect for sexual minorities., Which they consider “inconsistent” with their Christian values.

Cerrato said the complainants did not have the authority to request the party to be suspended because they were not part of it.

He made clear that the decisions of the CSE Council were “not subject to appeal,” and the bloc was excluded from the legislative and presidential elections on November 7.

“This is a completely illegal electoral process while dampening the main opposition political force, whose members played an important and decisive role in the protests.In 2018, a member of this coalition, Unión Democrática Renovadora (Unamos), made up of defectors from the FSLN (FSLN) protested.

With the PRD out, the opposition will only have in competition the Ciudadanos por la Libertad (CXL) coalition, made up of the original party and right-wing sectors.

For its part, Sandinismo will partner with the “Unida Nicaragua Triunfa” alliance.Which does not rule out the candidacy of Ortega (75 years) for a fourth consecutive term.

The United States imposed sanctions on his government, which accuses him of corruption and human rights violations in opposition protests.

For Ortega’s CEO, The 2018 protests were a failed coup propagated by the United States.

Candidates must be identified in July.

As for the opposition, Onamus, the government “marked this electoral process with multiple traps and threats.”

With information from Agence France-Presse

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