U.S. says concerned by Nicaragua election ruling

Reuters via Yahoo News ^ | Oct 22, 2009 | Reuters

[ETL]

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega (R)
and his wife Rosario Murillo gesture during
a meeting in Managua October 20, 2009.
REUTERS/Cesar Perez/Nicaragua Presidency/Handout

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday expressed concern about a Nicaraguan court ruling that opens the way for leftist President Daniel Ortega to seek re-election in the 2011 election.

Nicaragua's Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that helped to clear the way for Ortega to run for another term, following a petition from him and a group of mayors last week. The country's electoral court said it would comply with the ruling.

The U.S. State Department questioned the way the court had reached its decision, and said the move threatens democratic governance.

"The ruling appears to short-circuit, through legal maneuverings, the open and transparent consideration by the Nicaraguan people of the possibility for presidential re-election," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.

"We share the concern of many Nicaraguans that this situation is part of a larger pattern of questionable and irregular governmental actions," Kelly added.

Latin American countries are increasingly wrestling with the issue of presidential term limits as leftists such as Venezuela's self-styled socialist President Hugo Chavez seek to stay in power as long as they can win elections.

Ortega -- a left-wing former guerrilla fighter whose Sandinista rebels fought U.S.-backed government forces during a Cold War-era civil war -- first took power after Nicaragua's 1979 revolution and was formally elected president in 1984.

[ETL]

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June, 1970 -- Kerry joins Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), a national veterans group that is part of the Peoples Coalition for Peace and Justice. The PCPJ is a broad coalition of local and national organizations, including the Communist Party, USA, "committed to conducting demonstrations aimed at ending the war in Indochina, and poverty, racism and injustice at home." The VVAW, CCI and PCPJ all have headquarters at 156 Fifth Avenue in New York City. VVAW Executive Secretary Al Hubbard, a former Black Panther, is also on the coordinating committee of the PCPJ. Hubbard soon appoints Kerry to the VVAW's Executive Committee, bypassing the normal election process.
http://www.wintersoldier.com/index.php?topic=Timeline
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"Shortly after taking office in 1985, Kerry and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa went on a fact-finding trip to Nicaragua, where they met with Daniel Ortega (right) and other Sandinistas. The trip was criticized when the Sandinistas cemented ties with Moscow."

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/062003.shtml

[dirtboy]

The United States on Thursday expressed concern about a Nicaraguan court ruling that opens the way for leftist President Daniel Ortega to seek re-election in the 2011 election.

However, when the Honduran Supreme Court put the kebosh to Zemlaya trying a similar stunt, the US found fault with that as well. Do ya think, guys, that you might, just might have emboldened the leftists in Nicaragua by doing that?

[La Lydia]

Daniel the Molester has accomplished in Nicaragua what the Honduran Congress stopped Mel Zelaya from accomplishing there. So the “US concern” strikes me as more than a little disingenuous. And Kerry has the judgment of a gerbil.

[KarlInOhio]

The United States on Thursday expressed concern about a Nicaraguan court ruling that opens the way for leftist President Daniel Ortega to seek re-election in the 2011 election.

Wait a second. Aren't we the same country putting the hammer to Honduras for their courts and congress upholding their constitution against a president illegally trying to see reelection?

[paulycy]

Do ya think, guys, that you might, just might have emboldened the leftists in Nicaragua by doing that?

Yup. And now they will be surprised (but we won't) that he is taking a 180 degree opposite position since the last one didn't work out politically for him at home.

Maybe the whole leftist movement in this hemisphere will simply implode because of their unsustainable belief in 19th century economic superstitions and complete lack of integrity.

[cripplecreek]

Well gee, maybe we shouldn’t have encouraged him by harrassing Honduras over virtually the same thing.

[Yardstick]

This is exactly why Honduras put strict term limits in its constitution. This is a big time “teachable moment”.

And of course the Obama administration’s response is glaringly, ridiculously inconsistent. What a bunch of idiots.

[traumer]

[traumer]

[cripplecreek]

Schizophrenic foreign policy.

[ETL]

You know what they say about pictures and words!

[sr4402]

What was the basis of the court ruling? Was it against the constitution for a president to run again? Did they have a limitation like we do on presidents not having more than two terms?

[ETL]

What was the basis of the court ruling? Was it against the constitution for a president to run again? Did they have a limitation like we do on presidents not having more than two terms?

Answer should be found within these Yahoo search results:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=yff35ck&p=Nicaragua+%22term+limits%22

[sr4402]

Ortega has called for a constitutional referendum

This from and earlier article. Thus the Supreme Court overturned their constitution. Hints of Venezuela.