According to Reuters, the Nicaraguan Congress passed a constitutional reform on Tuesday, which prohibits opposition parties from participating in elections. It also extended the president's term from six years to seven years. This initiative has previously drawn criticism from the United States and other countries in the region.
This reform has received support from President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, and it has already been approved in the National Congress with the first vote. Murillo announced on Monday that this amendment will be subject to a second vote and approval starting from January 18 next year. According to Nicaragua’s laws, constitutional changes must be approved by two different legislative sessions before they can take effect officially.
This reform will also extend the terms of the joint president and other elected officials, as well as the heads of the military and police, from 6 years to 7 years.
On July 19th this year, Ortega publicly stated that Nicaragua would not hold any further elections in order to prevent the opposition from “taking over the government” once again.
Several Central American countries, as well as Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile, have criticized Ortega's statement, calling it another setback to Nicaragua's democratic process. The United States has called on the international community to isolate the Nicaraguan government, while Panama has recalled its ambassador.
In 2024, the ruling party approved a constitutional reform that extended the president’s term from five years to six years, and elevated the then-vice president Murillo to the position of “co-president”. The reform also postponed the presidential election, which was originally scheduled to take place at the end of this year, to the second half of 2027.
Ortega was once a member of left-wing guerrillas. In November 2021, he won an election and began his fourth consecutive presidential term in January 2022.
Oltague, who is about to reach the age of 81, participated in overthrowing the Somodez family regime at the end of the 1970s. With nearly 20 years of continuous leadership, he has become the longest-serving leader in America.
