Opening of Nicaragua’s 2008 Municipal Elections

We note the official beginning of the campaign for Nicaragua’s 2008 municipal elections. One of the essential elements of representative democracy, called for in Article 3 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, is “the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people.” We urge the Nicaraguan Government to ensure that all Nicaraguans are provided the opportunity to participate in free, fair and transparent elections, and to take the necessary measures to accredit independent electoral observers.