Nicaragua won’t hold elections anymore: Prez

Managua: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has said the country will hold no further elections, declaring the move necessary to prevent the opposition from returning to power.

Speaking at celebrations marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, Ortega said his government would work with the National Assembly to pass laws that would “build a wall” against “coup plotters and traitors”.

“There will be no more elections here,” the 80-year-old leader said.

The announcement marks a sharp escalation in Ortega’s consolidation of power. He has ruled Nicaragua since 2007 alongside his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo.

Elections are due next year, but Ortega did not clarify whether they would be cancelled or whether opposition parties would simply be barred from participating. In the 2021 election, his government jailed opposition presidential hopefuls and outlawed rival parties.

Rights groups accuse Orte­ga’s administration of dismantling democratic institutions, jailing critics and silencing media. —Agencies