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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 002110 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KDEM NU
SUBJECT: ALN PUSHING THE LIBERAL UNITY ENVELOPE 
 
REF: MANAGUA 2043 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
Summary 
- - - - 
 
¶1.  (C) The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance party (ALN) is 
pushing its fellow opposition Constitutional Liberal Party 
(PLC) to prove that its true intentions are to cooperate 
against the Sandinista regime of President Ortega.  As 
reported reftel, The ALN and PLC have signed agreements 
covering both a common legislative agenda in the National 
Assembly and a platform for electoral cooperation in advance 
of the 2008 Municipal Elections.  The ALN has now put the 
PLC's commitment to democratic change in Nicaragua to the 
test.  On September 11, the ALN tabled a legislative motion 
that would repeal several laws that provide legislative 
backing to the power structures of Ortega and his partner in 
corruption, former President and convicted felon Arnoldo 
Aleman.  The ALN is trying to force the PLC's hand to show 
whether the PLC will actually work in tandem with Nicaragua's 
democratic forces, or instead is still slavishly devoted to 
Aleman and his "Pacto" with Ortega.  End Summary. 
 
Forcing the PLC's Hand 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (U) The ALN's new motion would repeal the "Ley Marco" and 
related laws.  Repeal of the Ley Marco would bring into 
immediate effect constitutional changes that reduce the power 
of the executive, e.g., subject the naming of ministers to 
National Assembly approval.  The ALN motion also seeks to 
repeal law 511 (which establishes the Superintendent of 
Public Services), law 512 (which establishes the Institute of 
Urban and Rural Property Reform), law 539 (law covering 
Social Security), and all related and derivative laws and 
legislative actions. 
 
¶3.  (C) ALN Deputy August Valle confirmed to us on September 
12 that the ALN's intention is force the PLC's hand.  The ALN 
motion passes to the Justice Committee for review, but before 
the matter is formally considered, the ALN and PLC will use 
their newly established legislative consultation mechanisms 
to hammer out a mutually agreeable compromise.  Valle 
indicated that the ALN is uncertain what the outcome will be. 
 ALN-PLC consultations over these laws will be a true test of 
Aleman's continued power over the PLC, Valle opined. 
 
¶4.  (C) For their part, prominent members of the PLC publicly 
complained about the unilateral manner in which the ALN had 
tabled these proposals.  PLC Whip Maximino Rodriguez told the 
press on September 12 that the PLC would be introducing its 
own initiative to repeal the Ley Marco, but confirmed the 
party's intent to reconcile the two motions before the 
Justice Committee. 
 
Comment 
- - - - 
 
¶5.  (C) It is uncertain whether the PLC will join the ALN in 
its battle to support democracy in Nicaragua.  Aleman is 
still in charge of the PLC governing body, and, if 
cooperation with the ALN directly counters his self-interest 
by in some way jeopardizing his "Pacto" with Ortega, he 
almost surely will torpedo liberal unity.  By tabling 
legislative motions that directly affect the powers of the 
Presidency -- and by extension both Ortega and Aleman -- the 
ALN is indeed putting the PLC to the test. 
 
¶6.  (S) We will continue to monitor closely the ALN-PLC 
discussions, since opposition liberal unity is an essential 
element of any strategy to check the authoritarian impulses 
of the Ortega regime.  As previously reported, the prospects 
for an opposition victory in the November 2008 municipal 
elections will be much improved if the two liberal parties 
approach the elections together.  The parties are still 
working out the mechanisms for such cooperation and, once the 
modalities are agreed, are likely to need our (and others') 
assistance in effecting this cooperation.  For example, if 
the ALN and PLC decide to choose mutual candidates through a 
process of primary elections, they may well seek help in 
organizing primaries.  Fostering a strong non-Alemanista 
liberal opposition in Nicaragua is in our interests, and we 
should be prepared to provide that help if/when the time 
 
MANAGUA 00002110  002 OF 002 
 
 
comes. 
TRIVELLI