NGOs warn of a weakening democracy

President Daniel Ortega makes “alarming changes” and concentrate power, says MS partnerorganization.

Sandinista voters celebrate Ortega's victory in the Nov. 2006 elections. But civil society organizations now warn about the new president's recent moves.

On January 31st, more than 300 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), members of a coalition of groups known as the Civil Coordinator, publicly expressed their concern about the direction that President Daniel Ortega is heading with reforms “that concentrate civil and military power” under his control and which they said put democracy in danger.

The communiqué of the NGOs gave a “positive” appreciation to Ortega’s decision to reduce elevated government salaries, restore free public education and punish those who have committed acts of corruption. The groups also applauded his push to make sure nobody is excluded for economic reasons from education and health services.

But in the area of government reform the communiqué said that Ortega was making alarming changes through the act entitled “Organization, Competence and Procedures of the Executive Authority.” This act was approved on the 24th of January by the National Assembly with the votes of other parties along with those of the FSLN. These changes concentrated in the Presidency the control of several institutions that were previously under the Central Bank. They also allowed the president to exert greater control over administrative and security decisions of the police, which before was supervised by the Ministry of Interior. The changes also increased presidential power over the military, transferring the intelligence apparatus under his control. The Civil Coordinator called the structure similar to that of Cuba and Venezuela.

Georgina Muñoz of the Civil Coordinator said, “While it is true that the president is commander in chief of the armed forces and the national police, the respective ministers should continue to play the role they have been playing because that allows greater input from civil society into these military institutions.” In the same communiqué the NGOs asked for approval of the law for citizen access to public information, passage of the water law, as well as passage of changes to the Penal Code, which would assure sexual and reproductive human rights.