Nicanet - The Nicaragua Network

Nicaragua Network Hotlines for October 25, 2005

News topics covered in this Hotline include:

Topic 1: National Assembly Passes Framework Law

On October 19 the law known as the Framework Law was passed by a super-majority of 85 votes in Nicaragua's National Assembly. This law was created as the result of an agreement between President Bolaņos and the leader of the Sandinista party (FSLN) Daniel Ortega. Both men claim the legislation will bring stability to the country and an end to the political crisis. With a total of 92 members, the vote means that most of the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) deputies voted for the law. This lends some credence to speculation that US Under Secretary of State Robert Zoellick threatened to take Aleman to the US for trial a la Panama's Noriega unless Nicaragua passed CAFTA immediately. That's the last thing Aleman wants and Zoellick's alleged threat led to a rapid recorrelation of political forces.

Interestingly, US Ambassador to Nicaragua Paul Trivelli expressed his approval of the law which he said will bring stability to the country. "If an agreement which Bolaņos has with Ortega, or with whomever, will help bring to an end the political crisis in Nicaragua then I think it is a good idea," he commented. The U.S. has been interfering in Nicaragua's internal affairs in support of Bolaņos and to isolate both PLC leader and former President Arnoldo Aleman and Ortega.

The Framework Law states that the recent constitutional amendments, which severely reduced the power of the executive branch and strengthened the legislative branch's power, will not enter into force until January 2007 (when Bolaņos' term will end). These constitutional reforms, which are considered the root of the current political crisis, were promoted and passed by the majority parties (the PLC and the FSLN). Ortega stated that his turn-around decision to help the president to draw up and approve the Framework Law is a product of his desire to find a solution to the political crisis.

Deputy Orlando Tardencilla of the Blue and White bench proposed an amendment to the bill which would guarantee that no presidential candidate would be excluded from the November 2006 general elections. This measure would have favored presidential candidates Herty Lewites and Eduardo Montealegre whose candidacies are threatened because of unresolved legal accusations and the fact that they threaten the interests of the two caudillos, Aleman and Ortega. It was also widely speculated that the measure could lead to the presidential candidacy of former president and convicted money launderer Arnoldo Aleman. The amendment, however, was not approved.

Now, PLC leaders are insisting that a bill that would make way for the destruction of 651 SAM-7 missiles as well as an amnesty bill should be discussed in the Assembly. The amnesty bill would pardon all crimes committed by any public official or former public official during the last 25 years and would benefit over 40 current members of the legislative and executive branches. It would also mean freedom for the leader of the PLC, Arnoldo Aleman.

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Topic 2: IMF Demands 25% Increase in Electricity Rate

On October 21, Finance Minister Mario Arana made public a letter sent by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the Nicaraguan government about the evaluation made by an IMF technical mission to Nicaragua in September. In the letter the IMF makes several "recommendations" on how to improve the macro economic situation and Nicaragua's economic prospects in general. The main recommendation made in the letter is to introduce "immediately" an increase of at least 25% in the rate that consumers pay for electricity, "to prevent the electricity sector suffering further losses due to increasing oil prices."

Although the IMF suggests that this increase should not effect the poorest sectors of society, IMF officials recommend creating a legal mechanism which would allow Union Fenosa (the Spanish multinational that the formerly state-owned electricity distribution service in Nicaragua) to increase or decrease the electricity rate to all its users without government authorization in accordance with fluctuations of the international price of oil.

The IMF's letter also implied that the organization will be willing to reactivate its economic program with Nicaragua once the National Assembly passes the laws the organization has insisted on all along. It seems likely these laws will be discussed and passed by the Assembly deputies before October 28, in which case the sum of US$89 million should be released on Monday October 31.

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Topic 3: National Assembly Passes Framework Law

On October 19 the law known as the Framework Law was passed by a uper-majority of 85 votes in Nicaragua's National Assembly. This law was created as the result of an agreement between President Bolaņos and the leader of the Sandinista party (FSLN) Daniel Ortega. Both en claim the legislation will bring stability to the country and an end to the political crisis. With a total of 92 members, the vote means that most of the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) deputies voted for the law. This lends some credence to speculation that US Under Secretary of State Robert Zoellick threatened to take Aleman to the US for trial a la Panama?s Noriega unless Nicaragua passed CAFTA mmediately. That?s the last thing Aleman wants and Zoellick's alleged threat led to a rapid recorrelation of political forces.

Interestingly, US Ambassador to Nicaragua Paul Trivelli expressed his approval of the law which he said will bring stability to the country. "If an agreement which Bolaņos has with Ortega, or with whomever, will help bring to an end the political crisis in Nicaragua then I think it is a good idea," he commented. The U.S. has been interfering in Nicaragua's internal affairs in support of Bolaņos and to isolate both PLC leader and former President Arnoldo Aleman and Ortega.

The Framework Law states that the recent constitutional amendments, which severely reduced the power of the executive branch and strengthened the legislative branch's power, will not enter into force until January 2007 (when Bolaņos' term will end). These constitutional reforms, which are considered the root of the current political crisis, were promoted and passed by the majority parties (the PLC and the FSLN). Ortega stated that his turn-around decision to help the president to draw up and approve the Framework Law is a product of his desire to find a solution to the political crisis.

Deputy Orlando Tardencilla of the Blue and White bench proposed an amendment to the bill which would guarantee that no presidential candidate would be excluded from the November 2006 general elections. This measure would have favored presidential candidates Herty Lewites and Eduardo Montealegre whose candidacies are threatened because of unresolved legal accusations and the fact that they threaten the interests of the two caudillos, Aleman and Ortega. It was also widely speculated that the measure could lead to the presidential candidacy of former president and convicted money launderer Arnoldo Aleman. The amendment, however, was not approved.

Now, PLC leaders are insisting that a bill that would make way for the destruction of 651 SAM-7 missiles as well as an amnesty bill should be discussed in the Assembly. The amnesty bill would pardon all crimes committed by any public official or former public official during the last 25 years and would benefit over 40 current members of the legislative and executive branches. It would also mean freedom for the leader of the PLC, Arnoldo Aleman.

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Topic 4: Eight Groups of Nemagon Victims Unite

Benjamin Chavez Romero, a leader of former banana workers affected by the pesticide Nemagon, explained that eight groups of former workers have united to better press their claims for compensation for damage to their health. "We are united because that was the condition that the transnational Dole Food Company has placed on us in order to begin out-of-court negotiations." Chavez added that the government and the group of banana workers headed by Victorino Espinales are attempting to arrive at an agreement with Dole separate from that of the eight united groups. Chavez said that he is asking for a meeting with President Enrique Bolaņos in order to clarify the issues and ask for him to follow through on promised he made to address the health problems of the former banana workers.

Chavez added that he is requesting that the National Assembly pass legislation that would include US$1.8 million for the purchase of medicines for the workers.

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Topic 5: MARENA Rules all Harvesting of Sea Turtles and Tuttle Eggs Illegal

On October 19, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) issued a ruling in which it prohibited all "hunting, fishing, capture, collection, consumption, use, transportation and sale of specimens, parts, products or derived materials" of marine turtles of all species in the entire national territory of Nicaragua. The destruction of nests on beaches was forbidden as well as the circulation of vehicles, people or beasts of burden on the beaches as well as motorboats inside a three-mile limit during the upcoming nesting period. Violation is now a criminal offense.

In order to enforce the ruling, the Nicaraguan Army, the Human Rights Prosecutor, MARENA, city officials of San Juan del Sur, along with other institutions have been readying a strong security force, the deployment of which began last week. The goal is that not one single turtle egg be taken from the La Flor Wildlife Refuge where a total of around 22,000 turtles are expected to arrive this weekend to lay their eggs. After an incubation period of 50 days, as many as 150,000 baby turtles are expected to emerge from the eggs and make their way to the sea.

A few days after turtles laid their eggs at La Flor, another large number were expected at Chococente last weekend. Authorities said that the goal was to end the illegal traffic in turtle eggs. Because there was so much abuse of the legal quota of 10% of the eggs previously available for use by seaside communities, the quota has been ended and any taking of eggs is now illegal.

A member committee of the Nicaragua Network, the Richland Center-Santa Teresa Sister City Project, supports the efforts to preserve the turtles of Chacocente. Read the next issue of the Nicaragua Monitor for more information about the struggle to save Nicaragua's sea turtles from extinction. The Monitor now appears on the Nicanet web page at www.nicanet.org.

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This hotline is prepared from the Nicaragua News Service and other sources. To receive a more extensive weekly summary of the news from Nicaragua by e-mail or postal service, send a check for $60.00 to Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. We can be reached by phone at 202-544-9355.