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) was elected for a six-year term
(amended to a five-year term in July 1995) by universal suffrage;
Vice President Julia MENA Rivera (since 22 October 1995) replaced
Virgilio GODOY, who resigned to run for the presidency in 1996 as
required by law; election last held 25 February 1990 (next to be
held 20 October 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 NA October 1996); results - UNO
coalition 53.9%, Sandinista bloc 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats -
(92 total) UNO coalition 53 (Center Group 9, UDC 6, PSD 5, APC 5,
PLC 5, PLI 4, PND 3, PAN 3, PNC 3, MDN 2, PCdeN 2, independents 6)
and Sandinista bloc 39 (MRS 16, BUS-Sandinista 9, FSLN 8, Sandinista
Group of Reflection 4, FSLN-independents 2)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges elected for
a six-year term (amended to a seven-year term in July 1995) by the
National Assembly
Political parties and leaders:
right: Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Arnold ALEMAN;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (APC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
Independent Liberal Party for National Unity (PLIUN), Carlos GUERRA
Gallardo; Conservative Action Movement (MAC); Conservative Party of
Nicaragua (PCN - formed in 1992 by the merger of the Conservative
Social Party or PSC with the Democratic Conservative Party or PCD
and the Conservative party of Labor or PCL), Fernando AGUERO;
National Conservative Party (PNC), Adolfo CALERO, Noel VIDUARRE
center right: Neoliberal Party (PALI), Ricardo VEGA Garcia;
Nicaraguan Resistance Party (PRN), Fabio GADEA, Enrique QUINONEZ;
Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO; National Project
(PRONAL), Antonio LACAYO Oyanguren; Nicaraguan Democratic Alliance
Party (PADENIC), Pedro MAYORGA Knilands; Nationalist Liberal Party
(PLN), Roberto CASTILLO Quant; Party for Liberal Unity (PUL),
Haroldo MONTEALEGRE; Fuerza '96, Francesco MAYORGA
center left: Christian Democratic Union (UDC), Luis Humberto GUZMAN;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Alfredo GUZMAN; Social
Democratic Party (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN; National Justice Party
(PJN), Jorge DIAZ Cruz; National Action Party (PAN), Delvis MONTIEL;
Renovating Action Movement (MAR), Pablo HERNANDEZ; Sandinista
Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ; Social Christian Party
(PCS), Erick RAMIREZ; Democratic Action Party (PAD), Eden PASTORA;
"Up with Nicaragua" (Arriba Nicaragua), Alvaro ROBELO; National
Democratic Party (PND), Alfredo CESAR Aquirre; Communist Party of
Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO Perez
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; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS
Echaverry
note: the UNO coalition that won the 1990 elections no longer
exists; the different blocs that formerly were united under the UNO
umbrella and their opposition to the Sandinistas now act and vote
independently
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