Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 9 January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Violeta Barrios de
CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY Reyes
(since 25 April 1990); election last held 25 February 1990 (next to be
held November 1996); results - Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO)
54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%
cabinet: Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional): elections last held 25 February
1990 (next to be held November 1996); results - UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%,
PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats - (92 total) UNO 41, FSLN 39, "Centrist"
(Dissident UNO) 12
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
far right: Liberal Constitutionalist Party* (PLC), Arnold ALEMAN;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (APC), Myriam ARGUELLO; Central
American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS Echaverry; Independent
Liberal Party for National Unity (PLUIN), Alfonso MOCADO Guillen;
Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCN - formed in 1992 by the merger of
the Conservative Social Party (PSC) with the Democratic Conservative
Party (PCD) and PCL, the Conservative party of Labor), Fernando
AGUERO; National Justice Party (PJN), Jorge DIAZ Cruz; National
Conservative Party* (PNC), Adolfo CALERO
center right: Neoliberal Party* (PALI), Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel;
National Action Party* (PAN), Delvis MONTIEL; Independent Liberal
Party* (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO
center left: Christian Democratic Union (UDC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; Social Democratic
Party (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR),
Pablo HERNANDEZ; Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ;
Democratic Action Movement (MAD), Eden PASTORA; Communist Party of
Nicaragua* (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO Perez
far left: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Popular Action
Movement-Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ; Nicaraguan
Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA; Unidad Nicaraguense de
Obreros, Campesinos, y Profesionales (UNOCP), Rosalio GONZALEZ Urbina
note: parties marked with an asterisk belong to the National
Opposition Union (UNO), an alliance of moderate parties, which,
however, does not always follow a unified political agenda
Other political or pressure groups: National Workers Front (FNT) is a
Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: Sandinista Workers'
Central (CST); Farm Workers Association (ATC); Health Workers
Federation (FETASALUD); National Union of Employees (UNE); National
Association of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN); Union of Journalists of
Nicaragua (UPN); Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional
Associations (CONAPRO); and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers
(UNAG); Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of
four non-Sandinista labor unions: Confederation of Labor Unification
(CUS); Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A); Independent
General Confederation of Labor (CGT-I); and Labor Action and Unity
Central (CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independent
labor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is a
confederation of business groups