On June 25 seven opposition organizations united to form the National Coalition in an attempt to unify all the sectors opposing the Ortega government, currently including: Civic Alliance, White and Blue National Unity, the Peasant Movement, the Democratic Restoration Party, Liberal Constitutional Party, Nicaraguan Democratic Force and the Yatama Party. Different youth and university organizations have not joined the group, due to disputes over the number of their representatives in relation to other sectors.
This document addresses a key issue for the opposition: electoral reform. Here they commit to insisting on a unified approach to electoral reform, significant because Ortega has said that electoral reforms will only be negotiated with political parties.
Electoral reforms with a broad consensus and without bilateral negotiations
National Coalition
July 8, 2020
The National Coalition has established as one of its most important missions ensuring the transition from the dictatorship to democracy through the celebration of free, transparent and observed elections, that would allow the change to be achieved that the Nicaraguan population is demanding in order to build a just, democratic and inclusive nation.
For this purpose we, the organizations belonging to the National Coalition along with the PRO-REFORMAS group, have arrived at a consensus about a proposal of profound reforms on electoral matters, that would allow for the recovery of citizen trust in the electoral system, the transparency of the process, and give Nicaraguans back the right to choose.
Electoral reforms are not an end in themselves, they are needed to achieve the big objective of the departure of the Ortega Murillos by peaceful means, as an immediate and urgent step to advance in the democratization of the entire State, including the electoral and political party system itself.
We, the social and political party organizations who are uniting to work for a better country, with the signing on June 25th have committed ourselves to promote and propel jointly on national and international levels the common position on electoral matters on which we are agreeing.
The electoral reforms must be done with the broad consensus of the different actors of society hence we ratify the decision of all the organizations of the National Coalition to not accept bilateral, secret negotiations, or negotiations just with political parties. Our commitment is unbreakable and is accepted as speaking with one voice with the majority of the people of Nicaragua in favor of democratic rules, with elections under international standards.
True electoral reform requires, as a prelude, the full enjoyment of a prior environment of freedom and safety for all of the Nicaraguan citizenry, that includes the end to the ongoing harassment and dismantling of the forces of repression and the parapolice.
Managua, July 8, 2020