LADBAC@UNMB.BITNET (Dr. Barbara A. Kohl) (09/04/89)
CONTENTS
.1 ***COUNTRY NOTES, GUATEMALA*** (35 lines)
.2 ***COUNTRY NOTES, NICARAGUA*** (55 lines)
.3 ***COUNTRY NOTES, PANAMA*** (226 lines)
************ SUMMARIES & ANALYSIS ************
.4 NICARAGUA'S ELECTORAL LEGISLATION, PROCEDURES: A SUMMARY (222 lines)
September 1, 1989
CENTRAL AMERICA UPDATE
Copyright 1989
(Latin America Data Base, Latin American Institute, University
of New Mexico. Project Director: Dr. Nelson Valdes. Managing
Editor: Dr. Barbara A. Kohl)
This is the table of contents for the current issue of the CAU.
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COUNTRY NOTES, GUATEMALA
GUATEMALA: WHEREABOUTS OF ABDUCTED
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNKNOWN
As of Aug. 30, the whereabouts of seven university
students abducted within the previous 10 days ago were
unknown. The victims are Silvia Maria Azurdia Utrera,
Victor Hugo Rodriguez Jaramillo, Ivan Ernesto Gonzalez
Fuentes, Mario Arturo de Leon Mendes, Aron Ochoa, Hugo
Leonel Gramajo and Carlos Conde. (See CAU 08/25/89.)
Acting President Roberto Carpio Nicole told university
administrators that the students had not been detained in
any of the country's prisons.
The San Carlos University Students Association (AEUSC)
has organized several demonstrations in downtown Guatemala
City demanding the release of the kidnapped students.
(Basic data from Notimex, 08/30/89)
ON GUATEMALAN-MEXICAN TRADE
In 1988, Guatemalan exports to Mexico totaled $29.714
million, a 116% increase over 1987. Mexican exports to
Guatemala last year totaled $109.271 million.
Recently the Mexican government adopted a series of
initiatives in an attempt to reduce the trade gap. For
instance, lower tariffs will be applied to Guatemalan
imports included on a list of 232 products than to the same
imports from other nations. Guatemala will also benefit
from a program to promote Central American imports. Under
the program, the Mexican government has made available $65
million in cheap credit for domestic importers of Central
American goods. (Basic data from Notimex, 08/31/89)
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COUNTRY NOTES, NICARAGUA
NICARAGUA: PRESIDENT CALLS ON POLITICAL PARTIES & RELIGIOUS
TO EXPRESS EQUAL CONCERN ON RELEASE OF CONTRA ABDUCTEES
On Aug. 30 at a meeting with peasant farmers in
Matagalpa, President Daniel Ortega called on "all political
parties and all churches in the country" to request that the
contras release kidnapping victims. He said that once the
contras free abductees, his government would release all
campesinos detained for counterrevolutionary activities.
Ortega said that as the president of all Nicaraguans,
he was obligated to call on those who "cry every day
requesting the freedom of the Somocista Guardsmen and the
contras, that they also request the freedom of kidnapped
[Nicaraguans] in the hands of the contras."
The president said that 7,478 Nicaraguans, including
teachers, peasants, students, professionals, nurses,
doctors, technicians and others have been kidnapped by the
contras and taken to their camps in Honduras.
The pro-government National Farmers and Livestock
Growers Union (UNAG) requested that Ortega release from
prison some 1,200 persons accused of collaborating with the
contras. In the past two weeks, the government has released
239 prisoners. (Basic data from Notimex, 08/30/89)
U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL APPOINTS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
FOR MONITORING OF NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS
On Aug. 30, UN spokespersons announced that Secretary
General Javier Perez de Cuellar had appointed US attorney
Elliot Richardson as his personal representative for
monitoring the Nicaraguan electoral process. Richardson,
currently co-chair of the National Council of the United
Nations Association of the United States (UNAUSA), served in
the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald
Ford.
Under the administration of President Jimmy Carter, he
acted as Carter's special representative at the third UN
conference on the law of the sea from 1977 to 1980. From
1980 until June 1989, Richardson chaired the UNAUSA.
Richardson will make periodic visits to Nicaragua to
oversee the UN monitoring team, and is to deliver
evaluations to the Secretary General.
Perez de Cuellar's deputy personal representative,
Iqbal Riza, arrived in Managua on Aug. 21. He is to remain
in Nicaragua throughout the electoral process. The UN
monitoring operation consists of three phases, and will
involve a team of delegates numbering over 120. The UN
monitors are to work alongside other observer delegations
from the Organization of American States and the European
Parliament. (Basic data from Xinhua, 08/23/89, 08/25/89,
08/30/89)
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COUNTRY NOTES, PANAMA
PANAMA: COMPTROLLER FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ
APPOINTED INTERIM PRESIDENT
On Aug. 31, Panama's Council of State appointed
Comptroller Francisco Rodriguez Poveda as interim president
and Carlos Osores Typaldos vice president to take over Sept.
1. Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter, who resigned on the
evening of Aug. 30, told reporters of the appointments after
the closed session.
The Council is comprised of about 40 persons, including
cabinet ministers, heads of government and military leaders.
The president is formal head of the Council. Both Rodriguez
and Osores are members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party
(PRD).
According to an official announcement, and statements
by Rodriguez, new elections have been tentatively scheduled
to be held in six months if the US "ceases its aggression
and releases Panamanian funds it arbitrarily holds." The
interim government also plans to reform Panama's current
electoral legislation.
Osores, currently a member of the Panama Canal
Commission, is a former vice president, foreign minister and
UN ambassador.
Rodriguez, 50, directed the government's General
Accounting Office since 1982. His career in government
began in 1965 at the General Planning and Administration
Office of the Presidency, and rose to General Budget
Director at the Ministry for Economic Policy and Planning.
From 1975 to 1978, Rodriguez was Deputy Minister of
Agriculture, and later served as Minister. He was also
managing director of the Multinational Banana Brokerage
(COMUNBANA) and represented Panama at the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank, as well as at the negotiations
leading to the 1977 Canal accords.
The new president was born in Herrera, central Panama,
and obtained degrees in engineering at University of Panama
(1962), agronomy at Lima's La Molina University (1963), and
project planning and evaluation at Guatemala's San Carlos
University (1964). He also studied at Chile's Latin
American Institute for Economic Planning and at the
Interamerican Development Bank in Washington.
Vice President Osores, 49, began his political carreer
at the Foreign Ministry in 1969. Later, he served as
Minister of Justice, and occupied the vice presidency in
1982. Osores studied English at St. Louis University in the
US, and obtained a degree in jurisprudence at Italy's Padua
University in 1967. He was managing editor of Estrella, the
oldest Panamanian daily, and is currently a member of its
editorial board.
[On Aug. 31, Juan Sosa, Panama's ambassador in
Washington under ousted President Eric Arturo Delvalle,
closed down the Panamanian embassy in Washington.
Delvalle recognized Sept. 1 as the end of his term.
Sosa said he planned to request political asylum in the
US, and that he would hand over the keys of the embassy to
the US State Department's Office of Foreign Missions.]
(Basic data from several reports by AFP, AP, Notimex, DPA,
Xinhua, 08/31/89)
SPECIAL O.A.S. MEETING AT U.S. REQUEST TO PRESENT EVIDENCE
OF PANAMANIAN GENERAL'S ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN DRUG TRADE
On Aug. 31, the Organization of American States held a
special meeting at its headquarters in Washington to hear
evidence of Panamanian Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega's alleged
involvement in drug trafficking. The US requested the
meeting after an OAS mediating team last week approved a
resolution that did not call on Noriega to resign, and
Panama's delegate to the OAS, Romulo Escobar Bethancourt,
challenged Washington to present evidence of the alleged
wrongdoings.
The OAS press department said Washington wanted to
present "a summary of the evidence and elaboration of the
United States position on the critical situation in Panama."
In February 1988, Noriega was indicted by two federal grand
juries in Florida on charges of drug trafficking and
racketeering.
On Thursday, the OAS special session convened to hear
Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger present US
evidence against Noriega.
Eagleburger said the general had accumulated a personal
fortune of $200 million to $300 million, mainly through drug
trafficking and other criminal activities. He asserted that
Noriega had protected cocaine shipments flown from Medellin,
Colombia, through Panama to the US; arranged for the
shipment and sale of ether and acetone to the Medellin drug
mafia; and provided a refuge and a base for operations to
members of the Medellin mafia after the 1984 murder of
Colombian Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla.
Next, Eagleburger said Noriega agreed to protect a
cocaine laboratory constructed in Darien department, Panama;
and ensured drug money laundering by Panamanian banks. He
added that the general received over $4.6 million in
compensation for these services.
Eagleburger disclosed a letter from Noriega to a London
bank ordering the transfer of $14,936,426 to a bank in
Luxembourg. The letter was dated three days after the US
indictments against Noriega were made public: Feb. 8, 1988.
The deputy secretary said that in addition to huge bank
deposits in Panama, Noriega owns luxury apartments in Paris
and the Dominican Republic, three yachts and several planes.
He asserted that Gen. Noriega is a corrupt man who knows no
limitations.
Eagleburger provided copies of the bank documents to
the OAS Secretariat. According to Notimex, journalists
received no copies of documents regarding evidence of
Noriega's personal wealth or other matters.
The deputy secretary said that under an agreement with
the armed forces, Noriega should have retired in 1987.
Instead, he added, the general remained in the post filling
his pockets and helping the drug mafia to destroy democracy
in America.
In response to Eagleburger's statements, Frank Robine,
an attorney representing Noriega at the session, said the US
official presented only charges and no proof. Next, the
attorney said the 1988 indictments against the general by
the two Florida district courts were based on charges made
by persons paid and sustained by the US government.
In any event, said Robine, all crimes Noriega was
charged with were presumably committed in Panama.
Consequently, he added, the general should not be subject to
extradition to the US.
The attorney continued by asserting that Eagleburger's
comments violated US constitutional precepts in that accused
persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. He then
charged that the US has departed from norms of decency in
conducting diplomacy with Panama. An example of this
absence of decency, said the attorney, was the May 1988
offer by State Department officials to drop the charges
against Noriega if he would resign as commander-in-chief of
the Panamanian Defense Forces.
Finally, Robine said Washington had converted the OAS
into a court of law. The OAS, he added, is a forum for
debate and discussion of political issues.
Panama's representative to the OAS special session,
Jose Maria Cabrera, said evidence offered by Eagelburger was
nothing but "lies, fabrications and half-truths." He said
the US was using the 31-nation organization as "a platform
for a propaganda campaign against Panama."
According to Notimex, after the session journalists
told Eagleburger that his presentation did not contain
anything new, despite rumors that the US government had
discovered additional evidence on Noriega's alleged crimes.
The deputy secretary said he had information he did not
reveal during the presentation due to ethical reasons and to
avoid transforming the OAS forum into a court.
While denying any plans for military action to oust
Noriega, unidentified US officials cited by the New York
Times said it would be justified if he continued to give
refuge to drug traffickers. (Basic data from AFP, 08/30/89;
Notimex, 08/31/89; New York Times, 09/01/89)
PANAMA: ON "TENSIONS" SURROUNDING INSTALLATION
OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT
Aug. 30: The Panamanian government reiterated warnings
about the potential for a US invasion on Sept. 1. In an
interview with Notimex, Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter said
more than 18,000 US military personnel under the US Southern
Command are prepared for an invasion. After Sept. 1, he
said, Washington "will escalate military pressure in search
of a provocation...The US has not dismissed intervention" as
a means to having its way with Panama.
In practice, said Ritter, Panama has already been
invaded by the US military. The number of US troops in
Panama is far in excess of those justified under the 1977
Canal accords, said the minister. He added that the accords
state that US military presence must decline over time, and
that the only justification for such presence is for the
protection, maintenance and defense of the Canal.
Ritter said the US has used "silly excuses" to justify
increments in its military presence in Panama. Originally,
he said, there were close to 15,000 US soldiers in the
country. Then, "they brought in 2,000 more to protect the
15,000, and nearly another 2,000 to protect the earlier
2,000."
--Pedro Lopez, commander of the Victoriano Lorenzo
International Brigade, told the Copley News Service that
brigade members were prepared to fight aggression from the
US or the domestic opposition. He said that about 500 armed
members of the brigade, along with 10,000 members of the
government's paramilitary Dignity Battalions, would be on
alert throughout Panama on Sept. 1 to quash "efforts to
destabilize the new government." Copley said it was
impossible to obtain independent confirmation of Lopez'
remarks. Lopez, 37, is a national government employee.
Lopez said hundreds of brigade members fought alongside
the Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua to oust dictator
Anastasio Somoza in 1979. Others have fought as guerrillas
in Chile, Colombia and El Salvador, he said.
Lopez said, "We decided to take up arms again only if
our own country was in danger. We now feel that such danger
is close at hand. Believe me, in the event of trouble, we
are ready to shed our last drop of blood."
The brigade was named for Victoriano Lorenzo, a rebel
executed by Colombian troops in 1902, a year before Panama
gained political independence. Founded in 1978, the
brigade's first commander was Hugo Spadafora, a former
deputy minister of health who later broke with Noriega over
the general's alleged ties to drug traffickers. In 1985,
Spadafora's decapitated corpse was discovered in Costa Rica
near the Panamanian border. Lopez said, "I always respected
Spadafora's ideas. But he was wrong about the general."
--At 1:38 p.m., a man--apparently broadcasting from a
clandestine transmitter--interrupted a radio sportscast to
shout that Noriega was "a coward and an assassin" who had
brought "disaster and destruction" to Panama. "He must be
decapitated, for the welfare of our children and the welfare
of the country," he declared.
--The Justice Ministry said that a "great number" of
radio stations in Panama have recently had their broadcasts
interrupted by "pro-Yankee" government opponents who wish to
"subvert public order."
--The government announced the arrest of several
members of the opposition Christian Democratic Party on
charges of planning sabotage activities, and increased
security nationwide in anticipation of protests.
Paramilitary groups organized into "national defense
committees" trained at various sites in Panama City.
Government agencies announced they were placing themselves
in a state of alert.
Aug. 31: Opposition leaders said they did not plan any
street protests Friday. (Basic data from Notimex, 08/30/89;
AP, Copley News Service, 08/31/89)
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NICARAGUA'S ELECTORAL LEGISLATION, PROCEDURES: A SUMMARY
In February 1989, as part of the Central American
summit agreement reached in El Salvador, Nicaragua pledged
to liberalize its election and media laws in advance of
general elections to be held Feb. 25, 1990. Since then, in
sessions of the National Assembly, and in meetings with
opposition parties, the Nicaraguan government has completed
the task. Major components of Nicaragua's electoral
legislation and correspondia media regulations are
summarized below. [Compiled from reports by Nicaragua
Network (Washington, DC and New York, NY), and CAU back
issues.]
Supreme Electoral Council
The Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) appoints nine
regional electoral councils, and regulates all election
procedures. It is comprised of five justices elected by the
National Assembly: two are from the Sandinista National
Liberation Front (FSLN) party; two from opposition parties,
and one, a neutral public figure. The fifth member is a law
school professor who has no party affiliation.
Under an Aug. 4 agreement between the government and
opposition parties, the SEC was mandated to establish a
seven-member advisory group to be selected on a "pluralist"
basis.
The SEC is also responsible for efforts in
collaboration with foreign governments and multilateral
organizations to establish a permanent identification system
for Nicaraguan citizens to be completed before the 1996
elections.
Legalization of political parties
Citizens may form political parties and register them
as such as long as they have 980 members, a name, emblem,
officers, legal representatives, statutes and program,
national board and nine provincial boards. (A party need
not show that it garnered a certain vote percentage in
previous elections. Costa Rica, for example, requires a
membership of 3,000, and 5% of the previous electoral vote.)
Media regulation during electoral campaign
Under the Aug. 4 agreement, the Interior Ministry is
prohibited from shutting down or fining newspapers and radio
stations during the electoral campaign. The SEC is
responsible for application of the Public Media and Social
Communication Law in matters pertaining to elections.
Campaign messages must respect the fundamental
principles and national integrity of Nicaragua, remain
within ethical/moral standards and give due consideration to
other parties and/or candidates. Denigration, slander and
injury to other candidates are prohibited.
Guarantees of broadcast air time for political opposition
The Aug. 4 agreement states that from Aug. 25 through
Dec. 2, all party or coalition candidates are to receive
free of charge 30 minutes of continuous air time from Monday
through Saturday, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Channel 2 of
the Sandinista Television System.
The election law guarantees a pre-determined amount of
time each day on the two state-owned television stations and
all public and private radio stations. Air time is to be
equally divided among all parties wishing to purchase the
same. (Many Latin American countries provide no guarantee
of air time for opposition parties.)
Government financing of election campaigns
The government will provide financing for political
campaigns. Fifty percent will be divided equally among all
participating party/coalition candidates, and the remaining
50% will be proportionately distributed according to the
percentage of the vote each party captured in the previous
election.
Foreign financing of election campaigns
Foreign donations for political campaigns will be
permitted. They must be earmarked "Fund for Democracy" and
administered by the SEC. Fifty percent will go to the
recipient candidate or party. The remaining 50% will be
used to finance non-partisan expenses for administration of
the elections. (The US and most other countries prohibit
all foreign contributions to election campaigns.)
Change in requirements for winning Assembly seats
The requirement that parties must win at least 5% of
the vote in certain districts to win National Assembly seats
has been eliminated.
Voting age, voting rights of military personnel
The minimum voting age is 16 (as previously). Members
of the armed forces have the right to vote, but are
prohibited from campaigning or running for office. (In most
western democracies, including the US, citizens
simultaneously come of age for voting and military service
induction. Prohibitions against military personnel from
campaigning or running for office are also common in western
democracies, including the US.)
Under the Aug. 4 agreement, military personnel are
required to vote outsidu military installations.
Voting rights of Nicaraguans residing abroad
Nicaraguans residing abroad may register in the country
of residence, but must return to Nicaragua to vote. (Most
Latin American countries, including all Central American
nations, do not provide for absentee balloting. Most
Nicaraguans living abroad are in the US. Since the US has
closed all but one consulate and denied visas for additional
consular staff, and given Nicaragua's severe financial
constraits, absentee balloting is practically and
financially impossible for Nicaragua.)
Voluntary vote
Voting is secret and voluntary. [In many Latin
American countries, voting is mandatory. De facto and de
jure sanctions are diverse, e.g., fines, and denial of
access to public services and benefits, and to production
credit supervised or provided by government agencies.]
Opposition party monitoring of electoral process
All parties may appoint official monitors for the SEC
and regional electoral councils, and balloting and vote
computation stations at all levels. Voting irregularities
are reported to the SEC. Political parties are required to
submit to the SEC and appropriate regional electoral
councils lists of citizens selected for monitoring
activities.
Voter registration lists are to be made public for 10
days so anyone can challenge information recorded therein.
All citizens will receive a civic instruction booklet on
registration and the election.
The Aug. 4 agreement guarantees opposition access to
registered voter lists and ballots. The SEC will submit a
catalogue containing lists of registered voters to each
party or alliance participating in the electoral process no
later than 60 days before the elections.
The SEC is to submit copies of registration opening and
closing, balloting opening and closing, vote counting and
voting vouchers in each of the ballot receiving boards to
each of the poll-watchers of each political party or
alliance.
The SEC will prepare duplicates of the voter
registration catalogues to be located at the SEC and at
corresponding regional electoral councils. These catalogues
are to be prepared, copied and maintained at respective
sites from the time registration opens until three months
after the elections.
Once the vote tally has been concluded at ballot
receiving boards, one or two of the political parties or
alliances' poll-watchers at each board will accompany the
sealed packages of election documents to respective regional
electoral councils for recounting.
Poll-watchers have the right to inspect ballot boxes
before voting begins.
Voting counting will be carried out in the presence of
ballot receiving board members and their alternates, poll-
watchers and observers. (In many Latin American countries,
voter registration lists are not made available by law or in
practice to opposition parties and the general public.)
Use of government property, public employees' work-time
prohibited in election campaigns
The use of government property is prohibited for party
campaigning activities. Government employees are prohibited
from engaging in partisan or campaign activities during
office hours. In addition, public and private employers are
prohibited from obligating employees in any way to become
involved in political campaigning.
Opinion polls
Public opinion polls are permitted until 30 days before
the Feb. 25 election.
When elected executive & legislative officials take office
The president and vice president elected on Feb. 25,
1990, will take office on April 25. In effect, they would
hold office for a seven-year period, which includes the 10
months remaining in the current term and the subsequent
six-year term. Members of the National Assembly elected
Feb. 25, 1990, will take office on April 24.
Phases of electoral process
The electoral process has three phases:
April 25 - August 25: Parties apply for certification,
prepare, organize, mobilize. Partisan public rallies may be
held with permits.
August 25 - December 3: Registration of candidates,
distribution of public financing, public rallies and
electoral activities without authorization permitted
(notification is required).
December 4 - February 21: Full campaign activities.
International monitoring of electoral process
The Nicaraguan government has requested that the United
Nations, the Organization of American States and the
European Parliament send official monitors to observe
throughout the entire process beginning April 25. The
government has also issued formal invitations to other
organizations and individuals to observe the electoral
process, such as former President Jimmy Carter. Many
foreign governments and organizations plan to send
observer delegations separate from the efforts of
multilateral groups in which they are members or affiliates.
Non-electoral issues decided in discussions occurring
simultaneously with those bearing on the February elections:
Suspension of the military draft from September 1989
until after the Feb. 25, 1990, elections.
Repeal of the Law for the Maintenance of Order and
Public Security, which allows the arrest of government
opponents suspected of subversive activity.
Repeal of a law allowing police to try and sentence
criminals.
Prohibition of property confiscation for political
reasons.
Unconditional amnesty for political prisoners once
contra camps in Honduras are dismantled. This move will
benefit 1,605 contras in Nicaraguan jails.
The government will review the release of prisoners on
lists submitted by opposition political parties in which it
is demonstrated that said prisoners are party members and
were detained for political activities.
---
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