Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000
Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January
2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January 2002);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
January 2002); Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon (since 10 January
2002); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 November
2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
election results: Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (PLC) elected president -
56.3%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 42.3%, Alberto SABORIO (PCN)
1.4%; Jose RIZO Castellon elected vice president
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats;
members are elected by proportional representation and party lists
to serve five-year terms; one seat for previous President, one seat
for runner-up in previous Presidential election
elections: last held 4 November 2001 (next to be held by November
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance
(ruling party - includes PCCN, PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%,
FSLN 36.55%, PCN 2.12%; seats by party - Liberal Alliance 53, FSLN
38, PCN 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year
terms by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party of Nicaragua or PCN [Mario RAPPACCIOLI];
Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES
Vallejos]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or PCCN [Guillermo
OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN [Salvador
TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Daniel
ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [leader NA];
Unity Alliance or AU [leader NA]; Liberal Constitutional Party or
PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Alliance for the Republic or APRE
[Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon, Oscar WENDOLYN Vargas, Karla WHITE]; Liberal
Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; Christian
Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of
eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC,
Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs
Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National
Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of
Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG,
Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of
Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an
umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including -
Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of
Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor
or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan
Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior
Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of
business groups