Global Voices Online

Stories

Nicaragua: Concerns About Fraud in Recent Elections

Eduardo Avila · 18:47, November 13th, 2008 · Americas

lingua → es · zht · zhs · it · bn

Editor's Note: The following is a translation of a summary post written by Alvaro Berroteran of the blog site Nicaragua y Su Blog [es]. Used with permission.

The streets of Managua were not the only place where supporters of the two political parties in Nicaragua were present during the recent municipal elections held on November 9. One could also find them on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. In some cases, there were virtual confrontations, where the written word was used as a weapon and the bloggers also did not hold back. However, at least in these spaces, there were no victims or injured as a result.

Some bloggers provided their thoughts on the results of the municipal elections, such as the blogger from Y ahora ¿de qué vamos a hablar? [es] writes that the opposition had lost:

Sorpresa para mucha gente, el partido de gobierno ha ganado las elecciones municipales, obteniendo el control de una gran mayoría de alcaldías por todo el país, con un porcentaje total de votos a nivel nacional mucho mayor que el que obtuvo en las pasadas elecciones.

It was surprising for many people that the government's party won the municipal elections by gaining control of a large majority of the mayorships across the country, with a total percentage of votes much higher than they obtained in past elections on a national level.

However, one theme that was reoccurring in many of the blogs was the accusation of fraud by the ruling party, the FSLN. One blog that claims this is Chepe Velez [es], who writes:

La transparencia con la que se desarrollaron estas elecciones municipales dió la razón al Magistrado de Rivas cuando este se negó a acreditar observadores nacionales. En Nicaragua no necesitamos más observadores, con nosotros basta y sobra. Miles de ciudadanos de todos los rincones del país denuncian con nombres y apellidos, algunos con actas y boletas en las manos, el fraude que llevará a los candidatos danielistas a las sillas del poder local. La serie de trucos es larga y va desde la negación de entrega de cédulas a ciudadanos independientes, la emisión de tales documentos a menores de edad relacionados con “el partido”, la múltiple votación de militantes de la dictadura, anulación de boletas no afines, cierre anticipado de juntas receptoras, hasta llegar a la apertura de juntas clandestinas o virtuales. El fraude fue claro y lo observamos todos. A pesar del fraude quedó la evidencia de lo que realmente fue una abrumadora derrota al danielismo. Con tantos trucos aun se nota la grandeza del rechazo a la dictadura de la familia Ortega Murillo.

The transparency with which the elections took place demonstrated that Judge Rivas was correct, when he refused to provide accreditation to national observers. We don't need more observers in Nicaragua, we are more than enough. Thousands of citizens from all corners of the country make complaints with first and last names, some with ballots in hand. The fraud lifted the candidates of Daniel (Ortega) to local seats of power. The list of tricks is long and began with the denial of I.D. cards to independent citizens, the distribution of these documents to minors, who are linked to the “party,” the multiple acts of voting by party members of the dictatorship, the annulment of ballots, the early closing of stations, even the opening of clandestine or virtual stations. The fraud was clear and we saw it all. In spite of the fraud, it became evident the surprising defeat of Danielismo. With so many tricks, it was clear the rejection of the dictatorship of the family of Ortega Murillo.

And now, Leonel Delgado of Notas Rigorosas [es] writes that much of the coverage is so capital-centric:

Managua se traga toda la atención, los medios hablan de y desde Managua. Managua bendice o maldice y así fabrica verdades.

A la mitad de la población del país, más o menos, no le interesan las elecciones municipales, la otra mitad tiende a estar polarizada entre sandinistas y liberales.

Managua swallows all of the attention, the media talks about and from Managua. Managua blesses or curses, and manufactures the truth.

Half the population of the country, more or less, do not care about the municipal elections, the other half tend to be polarized between Sandinistas y Liberals.

Another blog that states that there was fraud in the municipal elections is called Contra La Dictadura [es] (Against the Dictatorship) cites a blog written by friend, who forewarned of possible fraud and writes that citizens need to rebel or that they are in trouble.

El 19 de octubre en el post “Cracking the code” un bloguero amigo escribía, entre otras cosas, lo siguiente:

Estoy convencido que en las próximas elecciones habrá fraude y que el momento crítico para desmontar el pacto habrá de empezar el segundo después de anunciado el resultado electoral. Si aceptamos el fraudulento resultado de las elecciones sin protestar, por miedo a que nos garroteen los elementos paramilitares al servicio de Daniel Ortega, tendremos entonces dictadura para rato y en lugar de este temor que ahora nos invade, en los años siguientes estaremos aterrorizados, inmóviles, como el pajarito frente al ojo de la serpiente. Por capearnos hoy un garrotazo estaremos condenando a nuestra descendencia a una vida en el oscurantismo, en el terror.

On October 19, on the post “Cracking the Code,” a blogger friend wrote:

I am convinced that in the next elections there will be fraud, and the critical moment to dismantle the pact will be the second after the election results are announced. If we accept the fraudulent results of the elections without protest, for fear that the paramilitary elements at the service of Daniel Ortega will attack us, then we will have dictatorship. And instead of this fear that now that invades us, in the next years we will be fearful, motionless, like a bird in front of the snake. For avoiding an attack, we would have condemned our descendants a dark life full of fear.

Another tool that was used to cover the elections was a Twitter application (as shown in the picture), where the key words like FSLN (Sandinista party), Alexis Arguello (Managua mayor) appeared was created by Igor.

2 comments · read »

Trinidad & Tobago: Manning & the Media

Janine Mendes-Franco · 13:20 · Americas

lingua → es · zht · zhs

The furor surrounding the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's recent radio station visit has not abated.

Trin posts a comprehensive roundup of reactions, all of which have been highlighted in the mainstream media, but the beauty of this post is that Trin cleverly employs the same modus operandi which allegedly got the radio announcers in question suspended: unapologetically commenting on the facts in Trinbagonian parlance…

Manning say, ‘If the spirit moves me,' he will visit media houses to complain if he disapproves of the content they produce. Maybe the spirit should tell him to stop talkin and actin so friggin crazy.

Manning say it have no pro-government agenda media. I guess he ain't get the message yet that people up to they arse with stress from crime, food, inflation and the public doh really like him too much anymore.

Media Watch reports that the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (which, incidentally, has not posted its views on this issue on its website) was prompted to issue another statement on the controversy, adding:

There is so much talk in T&T at this time about ‘Press Freedom', but clearly that term means different things to different people. Consider the International Press Freedom Awards, and those who will be honoured later this month.

But Jumbie's Watch is not convinced that the central issue is freedom of the press:

It's a bit amazing to see the feedback over Pa-trick's visit to the 94.1 FM radio station is still continuing. Gratifying as it is to see that this issue is kept alive, that people are calling him to account, and mostly telling him he was indeed a cacahole to do what he did, it hardly surprises me that people just respond to the wrong issues.

I don't see this incident as issues with freedom of the press. I see this as an issue about the unprofessional oddities that passes for journalism these days. For far too long, the media has been getting away with substandard shite. It brought this upon its own head.

It was also unprofessional of the Prime Minister to use his office to intimidate two of the idiots also. A formal complaint would have sufficed, not the least because the owner of the station is a pal of his.

Finally, KnowProSE.com says he is “almost done with the issue”, but he does have a few parting shots:

* The visit by the Prime Minister, as the 'spirit moved him', to a radio station is not appropriate for a person who holds an office that can (and apparently does) be used to intimidate the media.
* Management at 94.1 FM seem derelict in their responsibilities if the people suspended never received punitive measures before. If I were suspended by the management there and I had a clean record, you can bet your bottom CNG container that I would be seeking legal counsel. I've never owned a radio station before. That could be fun.
* The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Patrick Manning, whether intended or not, has struck a blow to the Freedom of Expression that can be found in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago (Chapter 1, Part 1, Section 4, items e, i and k - and perhaps a).

In my opinion, I think the Prime Minister should issue a mea culpa. Sure, he may not like what was said - but he's a politician. He's had worse things said about him by the Opposition, not to mention people in his own political party. Further, if he continues to demonstrate that he can and will intimidate media into suspending employees, he makes opinions of dictatorial rule gain weight - something that would probably oust someone out of political office in a democracy.

So, in the end, the Prime Minister made a mess - intentionally or not, in good faith or not - and he needs to clean it up. Why? It will not otherwise go away. It has been recorded, it has spread across the world, and it is a ready reference should he go astray again.

1 comment · read »

Central & Eastern Europe: A Travel Roundup

Veronica Khokhlova · 03:23 · Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → es · fr · sr

Olive harvesting in Albania, John Paul II monuments in Poland, a Soviet military hardware “cemetery” in Moscow, and more: Central and Eastern Europe-based bloggers share their recent travel observations and photos.

Albania

- Stepping Stones has posted photos of two elderly Albanian village women: the first one is harvesting olives in “the old-fashioned way”; the second one has her black apron filled with “tiny daisies,” which she is picking for a local company and gets paid less than $1 per kilo.

Also, Stepping Stones has spent some time at the ancient city of Apollonia and visited the Ardenice Orthodox Christian monastery:

[…] Ardenice is an old Orthodox monastery which was saved from destruction during the times of totalitarianism. 4 monks still live and work there but they were away at the seminary today so we didn't get to see them. The site has been ‘reclaimed' in recent years and is being well maintained and lovingly restored after being used for everything from a restaurant to a small hotel. […]

- Kolin of Living in Shkodër has been jogging around the city lately “seeing ‘normal' Albanian life,” getting “LOTS of really strange looks” and taking pictures of the old doors to private houses:

[…] There are many of these and one street could have about 20 different kinds of doors. It is the old wooden doors that I really like.

I think to myself, what kind of story could these doors tell us if only they could speak. […]

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia

- Balkanology Blog has posted some photos of Croatia and, following a tip from a fellow blogger (Stuart Pinfold), wrote about “the eccentricities of Google Maps in giving driving directions between certain points in Southeast Europe.”

First, there is Google's Dubrovnik-Mostar route:

[…] Instead of the conventional 150-kilometre drive that less creative mapping software might recommend, Google suggests a more adventurous approach: a ferry to Italy, some driving, another ferry to Greece, and more driving through Greece, the entire length of Albania, Montenegro, and finally Bosnia. At 1541 kilometres it's a mere 10 times longer than the usual route - and so much more interesting. […]

Then, there is the Split-Dubrovnik route:

[…] Sure enough, Google's answer does involve a drive along the Adriatic Coast - unfortunately it is on the other side of the Adriatic, between Bari and Pescara [in Italy]. […]

And there is also the Split-Zagreb route:

[…] The result was even more surprising: “We could not calculate directions between split, croatia and zagreb, croatia.” […]

And the Belgrade-Podgorica route:

[…] Closer inspection of the driving directions reveals the problem: Google wants us to head southeast for 150km, turn around, and drive back to the outskirts of Belgrade on the same road before finally taking the correct road towards Montenegro. […]

The author of Balkanology Blog gave up at this point, but Stuart Pinfold - the blogger who first discovered the confusion - shared some more results of Google Maps destination searches in the comment section to this post.

The Czech Republic

- The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes about the town of Svitavy - which, among other things, is the birthplace of Oscar Schindler, the man “credited with saving the lives of over 1000 Jewish people towards the end of World War II”:

[…] The Schindler home is at Poličská Ul. 24 but is still a family residence and therefore inaccessible to the public. It’s marked only by a small stone memorial in the park across the street.

[…]

One block south of the main square, the Svitavy city museum dedicates an entire wing to the story of Schindler and his Jews. Most of the displays take the form of documents and photographs and are neatly displayed in white on black panels. There are also several items exhibited in glass cases - prisoners’ uniforms, identity cards, food stamps and so on […].

In another post, Captain Oddsocks writes about his “love/hate relationship” with “tourist information offices in the Czech Republic” and offers some tips on how “to make sure their visitors, however few or many, have such a wonderful stay that they want to go away and spread the word without being asked”:

[…] I say that because I think, even though foreign tourists have been coming here freely for almost 20 years, the Czech Republic remains drastically underrated and underappreciated. Most people only go to Prague. […]

Latvia

- Latvian photographer Arnis Balcus posts photos of Latvia's oldest movie theater, Rīga, founded in 1923:

[…] It is probably also the only cinema in the country that still hires an artist to paint film ads.

Poland

- Polandian writes about the fast-growing population of Pope John Paul II statues in Poland:

[…] There are now 228 known public statues of Jan Pawel in Poland (this guy keeps a record). The Pope only died three years ago. According to a calculation I just pretended to do, if the production of Pope statues continues at this rate there will be more marble John Pauls than actual Polish people by about 2025. […]

[…]

Kitsch is the word that springs, unfortunately, to mind. You have to wonder what John Paul would have thought of all this idolatry, and you have to conclude that it wouldn’t have been positive. […]

- 20 east explores Warsaw landmarks connected to Heinrich, count von Brühl - the palace at Saski Square and the palace in Młociny:

[…] We’ve walked past it many times but not ventured over the fence. The other weekend, I went out for a walk alone into the wilder parts of the neighbouring land and after working my way around a small lake and then up a steep slope I found myself standing face to face with the palace without having to deliberately break any boundaries. I imagined the place would be deserted but I think there’s a caretaker living in the north wing because I saw a tricycle parked there (visible in the next picture) and curtains in the windows. There’s a weird looking guy, about 45 years old, rides around the neighbourhood on a tricycle made for a 6 year old. I thought he was just the local mutant but it seems he might be the palace caretaker. […]

Russia

- Eagle and the Bear writes about “a strange assemblage of Soviet military hardware” at Khodynka Field in Moscow - here and here:

[…] Listen up, kids — this kind of thing doesn’t happen in America or Europe: A completely unsupervised collection of Soviet air power, Hinds and MIGs, relics that once hunted down Afghani goat-herders now at your disposal for war games and stupid pictures. […]

LJ user akry has also devoted several posts (RUS) to Khodynka military hardware “cemetery” and has posted over a hundred photos taken there:

[…] We were shocked by what we saw there. The once mighty, beautiful machines have been left to rot under the rain, their blister windows broken, their insides sticking out… And these are the helicopters and aircrafts that used to protect us… […]

Serbia

- A Yankee-in-Belgrade writes about the “long and tumultuous history” of Serbia's capital:

[…] When the Scordisci (a Celtic tribe) set uptheir stronghold Singidunum at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers in the third century, the city at the “crossroads of the worlds” had been already been conquered by the Byzantines, the Gepidae, the Sarmatians, the Eastern Goths, the Slavs, the Avars, the Francs, the Bulgarians, the Hungarians, the Ottomans, the Austrians, the Germans… each of whom gave the city their respective names: Singedon, Nandor, Fehervar, Nandor Alba, Alba Graeca, Grieschisch Weisenburg, Alba Bulgarica, Taurunum… However, its Slavic name Belgrade, meaning White City, has lasted the longest. […]

- At the Balkan Crew, GV author Danica Radovanovic writes about places she loves best in Belgrade:

[…] 2. Markets, open lively markets with food and other goods. Someone said that you have to go first to the open market when you visit some city in order to know better the soul of the city and its habitants, people who live there. […]

- Viktor Markovic of Belgraded.com writes that the travel tips he shared in The Guardian last week “are a good sneak preview of what's coming soon at Belgraded - a series of articles entitled ‘Hundred things to do in Belgrade‘.” Viktor invites readers to contribute their own “top secret Belgrade tips.”

1 comment · read »