Daniel Ortega leads Nicaragua election

[maddezmom]

By TRACI CARL, Associated Press Writer
8 minutes ago



MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Daniel Ortega, the Marxist guerrilla who battled U.S. efforts to overthrow him in the 1980s, held a strong lead over his closest rival in early returns Monday from Nicaragua's presidential election.

The leftist Sandanista leader had about 41 percent of the vote with about 7 percent of polling stations counted, while Harvard-educated banker Eduardo Montealegre had 33 percent.

Three other candidates — Sandinista dissident Edmundo Jarquin, ruling party candidate Jose Rizo and former Contra rebel Eden Pastora — were trailing even further behind.

To win, Ortega needs just 35 percent of the vote and a five-point advantage over his closest opponent.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061106/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/nicaragua_elections

[Mythsaje]

1. Ortega?

Egads! That HAS to send the Righties into pure fits of outrage.

I read an interview with him once where he mentioned that the most expensive thing he owned was his eyeglasses.

I don't know if it was true, or if it's true now, but something about that impressed me.

[texasleo]

4. nobody likes Ortega

[Mythsaje]

5. Except, apparently, the people voting for him.

:shrug:

[arcos]

6. Well, 40% of the people...

If this goes to a runoff, Ortega will most likely lose... although he's the most popular of the candidates, he's also the most unpopular, polls show any of the other contenders would beat Ortega in a runoff. I'd rather have Ortega than another right wing hack, but he's NOT the best the Nicaraguans can do. Hopefully if he's elected his government will be a good one, without all the corruption that has characterized both the right and left wing parties in Nicaragua.

[arcos]

7. It is certainly not true... nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. So Bush's embassy wants to withhold its judgment on the integrity of the election.....

From the article:

The U.S. Embassy said it was too soon to "make an overall judgment on the fairness and transparency of the process."

"We are receiving reports of some anomalies in the electoral process," including polling stations that opened late and closed early, the embassy said.
(snip)

If they are so adamant about clean elections, they must have gone stark raving mad during the last two pResidential elections here!

Roberto Rivas, president of the Supreme Electoral Council, dismissed the U.S. statement.

"We have promised the Nicaraguan people transparent elections, and that's what we've done," he said. "I think there were enough observers to witness that."

Observers acknowledged that many polling stations opened late, leaving long lines of people waiting to cast their ballots. After the polls closed, groups of angry voters pounded on shuttered doors, screaming at officials inside to let them vote.
(snip/...)

This also sounds familiar, doesn't it?

[arcos]

3. Assholes!

I'm not very fond of Ortega because he's old politics, and I'd rather have the center left dissidents. However, if he wins, he wins... the election was fair and clean.

[Benhurst]

8. "The U.S. Embassy said it was too soon to 'make an overall judgment on the fairness and

transparency of the process.'"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: