TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2008
Nicaragua Network Hotline (December 16, 2008)
1. Millennium Challenge Corporation postpones decision on aid for 90 days2. National Assembly adjourns for year still paralyzed by the opposition
3. New poll shows lack of support for annulling elections
4. Donors satisfied with education programs
5. Awas Tingni community gets title to its land
Topic 1: Millennium Challenge Corporation postpones decision on aid for 90 days
Despite letters signed by 10,000 people from diverse sectors of the Nicaraguan population and so many emails from US solidarity that an official told the Nicaragua Network that their system was “overwhelmed,” the Bush administration on December 11 suspended Millennium Challenge Account funds to Nicaragua for 90 days after a meeting of the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The aid has been used primarily for infrastructure and agricultural support in the Departments of Leon and Chinandega and its abrupt cut-off represents significant losses for thousands of people in those departments.
The MCC suspension statement implies that projects already approved will continue, but $64 million not yet appropriated will be held up for review. Half way through the five year program, US$111 million out of US$175 million has already been disbursed. Sources reported that meetings held by Foreign Minister Samuel Santos in Washington with members of Congress, Bush administration officials, and President-elect Barack Obama's transition team were responsible for achieving the “time out” rather than a cancellation of the program based on allegations of fraud in the November municipal elections. Santos told El Nuevo Diario upon his return, “I perceived that they were open to me.”
The suspension of MCC aid means that repair to 68 kilometers of the Nejapa-Izapa highway will be delayed, as will paving the rural roads in La Paz Centro-Malpaisillo and Malpaisillo-Villa, and it will delay the legalization of ownership for 39,917 properties. Support for rural businesses is suspended to 1,589 farmers, ranchers, and foresters, and reforestation of over 13,000 acres of land will be delayed.
Vice-President Jaime Morales said that the “time out” was positive but that Nicaragua would not accept conditions that “undermine the independence or sovereignty of the State.” Cesar Zamora, president of the Nicaraguan American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) characterized the decision as “better than it might have been for Nicaragua because the other option was cancellation of the program.” Santos confirmed that the suspension was due to concern in Washington about claims of fraud in the recent municipal elections. “We hope that there will be no cut, as had been threatened by some US government officials and had been predicted by supporters of Eduardo Montealegre,” he said.
Topic 2: National Assembly adjourns for year still paralyzed by the opposition
On Dec. 15, National Assembly President Rene Nuñez closed the legislative year with dozens of bills pending because opposition parties have paralyzed the legislature most of the time since August. “Since November,” Nuñez said, “the National Assembly has not been able meet because of the insistence on the part of one sector to introduce measures that belong exclusively, according to the Constitution, to another branch of government.” Opposition parties have not been able to bring together the 47 votes needed to pass a constitutionally questionable bill to annul Nov. 9 municipal elections, but neither has the governing Sandinista Party been able achieve 47 votes to move forward on other legislation.
On Dec. 10, representatives from the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC), the Nicaraguan Democratic Bench (BDN) and the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) met to create a joint strategy to annul the elections. It is interesting that the MRS joined with the PLC, as it did in the municipal elections, since its principal campaign theme in the 2006 presidential election was opposition to the so-called pact between the FSLN and PLC. Eduardo Montealegre, who ran for mayor of Managua under the banner of a PLC-led alliance, said that the opposition will continue to denounce the electoral fraud that he alleges took place on Nov. 9 and will continue to call for the elections to be annulled.
On Dec. 10, Nuñez' final attempt to achieve a quorum failed. He stated that “enormous damage” was being caused by the inability to get legislative approval to borrow $20 million from the World Bank for rural potable water projects and for another loan of US$20 million from the Inter-American Development Bank for small and medium size businesses. Also held up are loans from South Korea of US$12.6 million for technical schools and US$17.2 for a water project in Juigalpa. The National Assembly has also failed to amend the electoral law so that electoral identification cards for North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) will be valid for the January 19 hurricane-postponed municipal elections in eight municipalities. A US$30 million budget transfer to repair roads and bridges damaged by record breaking rains of September also languishes. In addition appointments to the boards of the Central Bank, the Development Bank and other financial institutions, required by the International Monetary Fund before it will release further funds, also remain blocked.
PLC leader Wilfredo Navarro had the gall to accuse Nuñez of closing “with instructions from Daniel Ortega” the 2008 legislative year illegally because he did not first meet with the other members of the leadership body as established by law. The “other members of the leadership body” are the ones who have paralyzed the Assembly in a bid that can only be described as an effort to make the country ungovernable. Opposition leaders also accused President Ortega of acting illegally in allowing three Russian Navy ships to deliver donations of medicine, computers, power generators and other supplies valued at US$200,000 to Bluefields last week without approval by the Assembly.
Topic 3: New poll shows lack of support for annulling elections
M & R Consultants released a new poll on Dec. 15 which showed 57.9% opposed to nullifying the November municipal elections with only 34.5% supporting such a move. Both the Supreme Electoral Council and the National Assembly won low approval ratings. While 63.5% oppose changing the constitution to allow for reelection of a sitting president, current President Daniel Ortega has a 48.9% approval rating against a 45.3% disapproval rating.
Only 27.6% of those interviewed approved the performance of the National Assembly, while 32.1% disapproved. That was actually an improvement over the 20% approval rating the Assembly had achieved in previous polls. The Supreme Electoral Council, which in the past had polled at 40% approval, dropped to 36.5% with 41% disapproving of its work. The national poll was taken between Nov. 29 and Dec. 4 by means of random face to face interviews with 1,600 people at their homes. The margin of error was 2.5%.
Former President Arnoldo Aleman, who is serving a 20 year sentence for fraud against the state under a system of “country arrest,” has the highest disapproval ratings of any Nicaraguan political figure with a 61% unfavorable rating against only 35% who had a positive opinion about him. Police Chief Aminta Granera's favorable approval rating was at 80.7%, the highest of all public officials. She was followed in the ratings by former President Violeta Chamorro with 73.1% and Carlos Mejia Godoy with 64.3%. Out-going Mayor of Managua Dionisio Marenco was rated favorably by 62.9%, and General Omar Halleslevens, head of the Army, was rated positively by 57.8%. On the question about who was the best person to be the leader of the opposition, failed presidential and Managua mayoral candidate Eduardo Montealegre got the highest rating with 34% demonstrating the continued deep divisions within the Nicaraguan right wing.
Topic 4: Donors satisfied with education programs
The Ministry of Education (MINED) held an evaluation meeting with foreign aid groups that have provided funding for education programs in Nicaragua. Participants in the meeting declared themselves satisfied with the implementation of new organization and curricula at the primary and middle school levels and with the overall effort to transform education nationally, according to MINED officials. Education Minister Miguel De Castilla thanked the funders for the “good” level of aid and for the legitimization of the process through their participation.
Helena Getino, representative of the European Union and its network of donors responded, “We think the efforts of MINED are excellent, and for that reason we are working together.” UNICEF representative Anyoli Sanabria noted that in the past “many of our donor initiatives have been very isolated and dispersed, without coordination with other programs. This search to find a better model of cooperation and work is going to be very opportune so that also the donor agencies will begin to develop a new strategy of cooperation. I think that the method of work that we are developing with MINED responds to the national priorities in those areas that are most necessary such as education.”
In other education news, the Ortega government and the Nicaraguan Institute of Youth (INJUVE), in coordination with the Program of Citizen Security of the National Police, celebrated the second graduation and reinsertion into society of “at-risk” youth. Two hundred youth from Tipitapa, Ciudad Sandino, and Managua received certificates in computer repair, mechanics, and automotive repair. Those who graduated had made a decision to abandon violence and their life on the streets for a new type of life. With happy and enthusiastic faces, each of the graduating youth received a diploma and a toolbox.
You can listen to a segment of the Public Radio International program “The World” from Dec. 16 on Nicaragua's program to save at-risk youth by clicking http://www.theworld.org/.
Topic 5: Awas Tingni community gets title to its land
Last week, Hernan Estrada, Prosecutor General of Nicaragua, and presidential delegate Lumberto Campbell, representing the national government, gave the indigenous Mayagna community of Awas Tingni title to its ancestral lands in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region municipalities of Bonanza, Rosita and Waspan. This finally brings Nicaragua into compliance with a 2001 ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The title was received by community leader Levito Jonathan MacLean. Government representatives said that the turning over of the title was in full recognition of the historic right of the community to hold its property in common. The case had been introduced in the Inter-American Court in 1998. Estrada said, “You are the true owners of more than 283 square miles of territory.” He added that the title gave the community greater security against speculators and land grabbers and the authority to expel anyone who would try to take its land away.
This hotline is prepared from the Nicaragua News Service and other sources. To receive a more extensive weekly summary of the news from Nicaragua by e-mail or postal service, send a check for $60.00 to Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. We can be reached by phone at 202-544-9355. Our web site is: www.nicanet.org. To subscribe to the Hotline, send an e-mail to nicanet@afgj.org
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