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OAS: ELECTIONS IN NICARAGUA PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY

  November 6, 2006

ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION
NATIONAL ELECTIONS
REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA-2006
____________________________________________________

Managua, Nicaragua, November 6, 2006
10:00 a.m.


The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Nicaragua considers that the election held yesterday, November 5, was peaceful and orderly, had a massive turnout and took place in accordance with the law.

The Mission deployed its observers across the country to monitor yesterday’s voting. Based on what the observers saw at the polling stations they visited throughout the day, from the opening of the polls to the counting of the votes, the Mission reports that:
· The polling stations observed by the OAS closed, on average, at 6:30 p.m.
· At the time the polls closed, in 2% of the polling stations there were citizens in line who had not voted.
· At the polling stations visited, political party poll watchers maintained a constant presence throughout the day.
· The average citizen participation at the polling stations visited was around 70%.
· At a high percentage of the observed polling stations, the vote counting took place according to established legal procedures.
· All poll watchers from the political parties represented at the observed polling stations received a copy of the tally sheets.
· According to reports from our observers, at the polling stations they visited there were no challenges to the presidential election tally sheets.

Following are some statistics related to the polling stations visited by the OAS Electoral Observation Mission:

Closing of polling stations
After 7 p.m. – 13%
Before 6 p.m. – 4%
Between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. – 83%

Percentage of polling stations where citizens remained in line, without voting – 2%

Presence of political party representatives during the vote count (by party)
PLC – 100%
FSLN – 98%
ALN – 100%
AC – 18%
MRS – 60%

Percentage of polling places where the counting of votes took place in accordance with legal procedures – 96%

Reference: NI-EL-6