Nicaragua: Today’s Politics and Government

Nicaragua is a democratic republic, where the president is both the chief of state and head of government. President José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (better known as Daniel Ortega) began serving his second five-year term on January 10, 2007. He belongs to the Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN, the Socialist Nicaraguan political party currently in power.

The Nicaraguan government is divided into four branches, the aforementioned executive, legislative, judiciary and electoral. Legislative power is found in the 92 seats of the unicameral National Assembly and judiciary power lies with the 16 judges on the Supreme Court; judges are elected to five-year terms by the National Assembly. The electoral branch includes the Supreme Electoral Council which is responsible for organizing and holding elections.

Nicaragua's 1987 constitution has been updated three times - in 1995, 2000 and 2005 - to guarantee freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and association, religion, and movement within the country. However, these rights have decreased and political tension has increased since the November 2008 municipal elections. According to other political parties, Ortega’s government has limited free and open discussion in the media and academia, and has curtailed the ability for Nicaraguans to peacefully assemble. Many international observers such as Freedom House have accused Ortega and his government of authoritarianism and intolerance.