Nicaragua Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
conventional short form : Nicaragua
local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
local short form : Nicaragua

Data code NU

Government type republic

National capital Managua

Administrative divisions 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 2 autonomousregions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonomista); Boaco, Carazo,Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya,Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Atlantico Norte*, AtlanticoSur*

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: President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997); Vice President EnriqueBOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997)
head of government: President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997); Vice President EnriqueBOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); note - in July 1995 the termof the office of the president was amended to five years
election results: Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (Liberal Alliance) 51.03%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra(FSLN) 37.75%, Guillermo OSORNO (Nicaraguan Christian Path - CNN) 4.10%, NoelVIDAURRE (Nicaraguan Conservative Party - PCN) 2.26%, Benjamin LANZAS (NationalProject) 0.53%, others (18 other candidates) remaining 4.33%

Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (93 seats; membersare elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Alliance (ruling party - includesPLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) 36.55%, Nicaraguan Christian Road Party (PCCN) 3.73%, Nicaraguan ConservativeParty (PCN) 2.12%, Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) 1.33%; seats by party- Liberal Alliance 42, FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3, PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PNC1, PLI 1, AU 1, UNO-96 Alliance 1

Judicial branch Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), 12 judges elected for a seven-year termby the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders
right: Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Road (PCCN), Guillermo OSORNO, RobertoRODRIGUEZ; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), NA; Independent LiberalParty for National Unity (PLIUN), Carlos GUERRA Gallardo; National ConservativeParty (PNC), Adolfo CALERO, Noel VIDAURRE; Nationalist Liberal Party (PLN),Enrique SANCHEZ
center right: Neoliberal Party (PALI), Ricardo VEGA Garcia; Nicaraguan ResistanceParty (PRN), Enrique QUINONEZ; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO;National Project (PRONAL), Antonio LACAYO Oyanguren; Conservative Action Movement(MAC), Hernaldo ZUNIYA
center left: Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ; Social DemocraticParty (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ;Movement for Revolutionary Unity (MUR), NA; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), NA; Unity Alliance (AU), Alejandro SERRANO; Conservative Partyof Nicaragua (PCN), Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha; National Democratic Party (PND),Alfredo CESAR Aguirre; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJASEchaverry; UNO-96 Alliance, Alfredo CESAR Aguirre; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement(MDN), Alfredo GUZMAN
left: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra

Political pressure groups and leaders National Workers Front (FNT) is a Sandinista umbrella group of eightlabor 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 Journalistsof Nicaragua (UPN); Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations(CONAPRO); and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG); PermanentCongress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista laborunions: Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS); Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers'Central (CTN-A); Independent General Confederation of Labor (CGT-I); and LaborAction and Unity Central (CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independentlabor union; Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is a confederationof business groups

International organization participation BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco AGUIRRE Sacasa
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Luis GUTIERREZ
embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua
mailing address : APO AA 34021
telephone: [505] (2) 666010 through 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027,666032 through 33
FAX: [505] (2) 669074

Flag description three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with thenational coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICACENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which featuresa round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICACENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras,which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

NOTE: The information regarding Nicaragua on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nicaragua Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nicaragua Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.