The Organization of American States (OAS)'s observer mission in
Nicaragua said in a statement on Sunday that it "regretted" the US
intervention in Nicaragua's presidential election campaign.
"The future of Nicaragua's political institutions should depend
only on the decision of the people of this nation," the OAS mission
said.
The OAS statement came after two recent public statements by US
officials that appeared to support Eduardo Montealegre, a candidate
from the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance-Conservative Party
coalition.
On Thursday last week, the US trade minister, Carlos Gutierrez,
told Nicaraguan press that if Daniel Ortega, candidate from the
Sandinista National Liberation Front party, were to win the Nov. 5
election, it would put US investments in Nicaragua atrisk.
On Saturday, US ambassador in Nicaragua, Paul Trivelli, told
media that a vote for the Liberal Constitutionalist Party's
candidate was effectively a vote for Ortega.
Trivelli had previously tried to form a coalition that included
all of the country's right-wing parties, in a bid to strengthen the
anti-Ortega force.
The OAS has now complained twice about political interference in
the election. In a Sept. 25 statement the organization said "other
nations" should not interfere.
The OAS's first statement came after Dan Burton, a US Republican
lawmaker, made public statements in Nicaragua alleging that
Ortega's party controlled the nation's Supreme Electoral
Council.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)
