2016 Nicaraguan General Election Sunday Nov 06,2016

The 2016 Nicaraguan General Election is scheduled to be held on Sunday Nov 06,2016 to elect -

• The President of Nicaragua and 
• 90 Members of the National Assembly

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is widely expected to win his fourth term in elections on Sunday -- this time with his wife as his running mate.

 

First lady Rosario Murillo has long been the country's unofficial co-president, effectively running the government, analysts of Nicaraguan politics say. 

 

In August 2016, when the couple made their ticket official, Ortega said she was the best running mate he could choose: "Who better (to be vice president) than my companera, who has so far done an efficient and effective job with much discipline and sacrifice." 

 

The move by Ortega, a socialist and former guerrilla leader, is not without controversy as critics have accused the couple of skirting laws while building a political dynasty. 

 

Nicaragua's Constitution bars candidates who are relatives of the current President from running, however the Supreme Court of Nicaragua has said there was no legal impediment for the Ortega-Murillo ticket. 

 

The vote was seen as the most one-sided election in Nicaragua since the overthrow of dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979 - a process that Daniel Ortega himself was involved in.  

The 5 other candidates were all minor figures and were unable to present a challenge to the president. Part of the opposition urged a boycott, calling the vote a "farce".
International observers were not allowed to monitor the vote.
 

 

Daniel Ortega came to power as part of the Sandinista rebels who overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1979. He fought against the U.S.-backed contras during the 1980s and has remained a key ally to Venezuela.

He was first elected as President in 1985, and ran unsuccessfully in 1990, 1996 and 2001 before being elected again in 2006 and 2011.

Before Ortega's term, Presidents in Nicaragua were not allowed to serve consecutive terms, but that didn't stop him in 2011.

In 2014, he used his power to pressure lawmakers to do away with term limits, allowing him to run in Sunday's election.