holt@convex.UUCP (08/23/84)
#N:convex:40500036:000:1221
convex!holt Aug 23 09:20:00 1984
Dallas Morning News, Thursday, August 23, 1984:
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE, MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Election officials met
Wednesday night to strip three anti-Sandinista political parties of their
legal status after they refused to take part in the elections scheduled for
Nov. 4.
As a result, the three parties and their unofficial presidential
candidate, Arturo Jose Cruz, will not be permitted to hold outdoor rallies
or participate in any campaign activities.
Leaders of the coalition that comprises the parties and their business
and labor allies said they would spend the coming weeks traveling abroad in
an effort to build international pressure on the Sandinista government. Cruz
and two other opposition leaders are scheduled on Monday to begin a four-
nation tour of Latin America, during which they expect to be received by the
presidents of Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
Activists also said Cruz would seek to test restrictions on his political
activity when he returns to Nicaragua several weeks from now.
The Sandinistas had appeared eager for Cruz to participate in the
campaign. They have repeatedly assured supporters abroad that the election
would be free and open.ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist) (08/25/84)
Somebody cut quite a lot of material out of that story. (Sorry, I don't have the original.) The original news story pointed out that Cruz was the only opposition candidate that had much chance of winning any significant percentage of the vote. Therefore, his withdrawal may make it hard for the Sandinistas claim that the elections are meaningful. The Sandinistas pushed back the ballot registration date in hopes of convinding Cruz to register, but were unable to push back the date any farther and still get the ballots printed on time. I don't understand the question in the title of the article since the complaints of oppo- sition party members were amoung the things that were cut from the story. In short, if you want New York Times quality news, you have to read the original. Kenneth Almquist
myers@uwvax.ARPA (08/30/84)
As usual with the mainstream press, short articles on world events subtly distort the real picture. If you want background on the electoral controversy between the parties (not just the Sandinistas) in power and the "Democratic" coalition who demanded dialogues with the contras as a precondition to their participation in the elections, read back thru issues of the Christian Science Monitor from the past month. Recent issues of the Guardian also describe the various government support for and limitations on parties participating in the elections. If there is any interest, I will post a summary. Finally, it's my opinion that the "Democratic" coalition feels that it has a better chance of taking control of Nicaragua thru international economic and military pressure than thru the electoral process. Jeff Myers "Some folks trust to reason, others trust in lies..." "Some folks look for answers, others look for fights..."