VZCZCXYZ0029
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #2492/01 3132250
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 092250Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8182
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 002492 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NU
SUBJECT: ONCE UPON A NICARAGUAN ELECTION: TALES OF A U.S. 
OBSERVER MISSION 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 2466 
 
     ¶B. MANAGUA 2459 
     ¶C. MANAGUA 2484 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The U.S. Embassy community contributed 46 
observers to the international force on November 5th. 
Traveling to each of Nicaragua's 17 departments, observer 
teams left by plane and automobile early on Saturday the 4th. 
 Their collective experiences paint a colorful picture of 
Nicaragua's 2006 presidential and legislative election which 
brought Daniel Ortega to power after three previous 
unsuccessful attempts.  A collection of their stories from 
observing in the barrios of Managua to the mountains of 
Chontales follows.  Some highlight electoral anomalies 
tracked by trends in Ref C; others are touching stories of 
democracy in action.  END SUMMARY 
 
INTENTION OF THE VOTER 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2. (SBU) The widespread control and ability of the Sandinista 
National Liberation Front (FSLN) to mobilize its supporters 
to action was strongly represented in the experience of one 
observer in the department of Rio San Juan, one of 
Nicaragua's southern departments.  During the closure process 
and vote tabulation, the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) 
president of the voting table (JRV) who was a Liberal 
Constitutional Party (PLC) representative, attempted to annul 
votes cast for the FSLN with the excuse that the mark had 
been made outside of the circle but inside the party box. 
According to Nicaraguan electoral regulations, however, these 
votes should have been valid.  The fiscal argued with her, to 
which she responded that she would not be intimidated. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The FSLN fiscal spoke to someone outside the window 
and within 15 minutes there was a fairly large crowd of FSLN 
supporters standing outside the JRV shouting, "intention of 
the voter!"  They continued their chanting until the 
president conceded that indeed, the ballots were valid and 
would count.  In a rural JRV in Chontales, a voter had 
written the word "mentiroso" (liar) in the circle below 
Daniel Ortega.  The FSLN fiscal insisted that the vote was 
valid, and the CSE officials agreed. 
 
MARRIAGE PROPOSALS AND COUNTRY HOMES 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶4. (C) Pol Intern observed in a semi-rural JRV in the region 
of Chontales, a mountainous region known for its meat and 
dairy industry, and once high Contra presence.  According to 
most reports, Chontales was a particularly tranquil region 
during the election, with an expected number of anomalies. 
This trend was confirmed by Pol Intern who observed in the 
towns of Juigalpa and the rural Santo Thomas.  In the JRV 
where she spent the majority of her time, she was greeted by 
a friendly and amicable FSLN fiscal who found time as he was 
overseeing the voting process to offer her a place in his 
country home in the mountains of Chontales.  "I'm single," he 
assured her from under the brim of his U.S.A. baseball cap. 
She was also lucky enough to receive a marriage proposal from 
the electoral police on guard, enthusiastic about the 
prospect of acquiring American citizenship. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Also in Chontales, the observer team visited the 
campaign headquarters for each of the five parties.  At each 
they were greeted amicably.  At the PLC headquarters they 
observed the slogan "Arnoldo, the liberals are with you" 
painted profusely on the walls of the small office, referring 
to former president Arnoldo Aleman.  Onlookers cautioned the 
team that if they visited the FSLN headquarters they would 
find them distributing cedulas.  Once there, they didn't find 
cedulas, only paintings of "Che" Guevara.  The team was 
filmed by party functionaries as they were leaving the 
headquarters. 
 
MAKING YOUR VOTE COUNT 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
¶6. (SBU) For many, last Sunday was an important event, an 
opportunity to have a say in a process that is relatively new 
to the Nicaraguan political experience.  Many extremely 
humble citizens took time on Sunday to stand in long lines, 
some for 5 1/2 hours, endure rain, heat, and confusion in 
order to cast their ballot.  One observer in the northern 
department of Madriz saw an elderly lady slowly and 
meticulously cast her ballot and then painstakingly search 
for the correct deposit boxes.  Having succeeded and after 
her thumb was stained with the black-brown ink, she did a 
 
hop-skip and clapped her hands together in celebration. 
 
¶7. (C) Less humble Nicaraguans voted as well, including 
Daniel Ortega, who voted at the same JRV as one FSN who was 
observing for the civil society group Etica y Transparencia. 
He arrived with an entourage of press and supporters who 
strong-armed their way into the JRV to photograph the event. 
The FSN observed from her position plastered against the wall 
of the tiny room as Ortega voted with his wife Rosario 
Murillo.  The room was so small that it was possible to see 
into the voting booths.  He left with both thumbs in the air, 
celebrating.  Hours later, Alternative for Change (AC) 
candidate Eden Pastora voted in the same JRV followed by only 
two reporters. 
 
CRIMINALS AS ELECTORAL POLICE, IN THE RANKS OF THE CSE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶8. (C) Observers in the departments of Boaco and Leon 
reported that the CSE had some difficulty finding JRV 
officials without criminal records.  In Leon, the Municipal 
Electoral Council (CEM) president confirmed to observers that 
100 of the 416 electoral police in his municipality had been 
replaced at the last minute because they were "found to have 
police records."  The CEM president informed the observer 
that the Ministry of Government selects, trains, and pays the 
electoral police, but the CEM can determine where to place 
them.  (Note: Electoral law article 182 explains that the 
Ministry of Government shall ensure the constitution of the 
electoral police but that they will function under the orders 
of the CSE from the beginning of the campaign until the 
inauguration.  Even the instructions issued by the CSE do not 
clearly indicate which body has the ultimate authority to 
place and control the police force.) 
 
¶9. (C) The experience of an FSN observing in Boaco serves as 
a clear representation of the FSLN-PLC pact at its most basic 
level.  At the JRV where he observed, the first member of the 
JRV was challenged because she held a criminal record.  She 
was a representative of the PLC and the president of the JRV 
belonged to the FSLN.  Despite their party differences, the 
FSLN president defended her.  In the end she was allowed to 
stay and assume the position of first member. 
 
INTO THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT 
- - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - 
¶10. (U) JRV's were scheduled to close at 6:00 PM and most 
reported having done so.  Nevertheless, the majority of JRV's 
did not finish the voting tabulation and transport the votes 
to the computation centers until 11:00.  Some closed as late 
as 4:30 in the morning and CSE officials, fiscales, and 
observers remained with the ballots until that time.  One 
observer reported seeing an Etica y Transparencia observer 
sleeping next to a bag of tallies and packaged votes while 
they waited for the CSE trucks to pick them up.  Caravans of 
CSE officials, fiscales, and observers made their way to the 
Enitel (phone company) transmission centers and then to the 
computation centers, often passing through massive 
celebrations of FSLN supports who had heard the 12:50 
announcement that put the FSLN ahead. 
 
¶11. (U) COMMENT: The U.S. observer mission shared in the 
collective experience of the Nicaraguan people from dawn on 
Sunday to dawn on Monday and most observers reported having a 
very positive experience.  A nominal level of chaos and 
inefficiency seems to have been the norm, and certainly there 
were notable anomalies (Ref C). 
TRIVELLI