Nicaraguan general election, 1984

A general election was held in Nicaragua on 4 November 1984, to elect a president and parliament. Approximately 1.2 million Nicaraguans voted,^[1] representing a 75% turnout, with 94% of eligible voters registered.^[2] The elections were generally held to be free and fair. A Latin American Studies Association (LASA) delegation observed the elections and concluded that the elections were remarkably fair, and that "Generally speaking, in this campaign the FSLN [the Sandinista National Liberation Front ] did little more to take advantage of its incumbency than incumbent parties everywhere (including the United States) routinely do, and considerably less than ruling parties in other Latin American countries traditionally do (The Electoral Process in Nicaragua, LASA, Nov. 19, 1984).^[3] Nevertheless, political scientists who study democratization do not consider this election to have resulted in any meaningful political liberalization in the country. Only the general election of 1990 marked Nicaragua’s transition to democracy. ^[4]

The election date, 4 November was selected so that Nicaragua would have a legitimate, elected government in place before the anticipated reelection of Ronald Reagan in the United States on 6 November. "The Sandinistas hoped that a competitive election with heavy turnout would deter a U.S. military intervention and reassure the FSLN’s defenders. So the Sandinistas’ decision to hold elections in 1984 was largely of foreign inspiration”. ^[5]

Between 1982 and 1984 the FSLN negotiated with the opposition on the proposed Political Parties Law and Electoral Law, and ultimately these were modified "in response to several of the opposition's most significant demands."^[6] Similarly, multiple extensions of the deadline for candidate registration were granted whilst talks with the Coordinadora continued.^[7]

Coordinadora Democrática participation

"Probably a key factor in preventing the 1984 elections from establishing liberal democratic rule was the United States' policy toward Nicaragua."^[8] The Reagan administration was divided over whether the rightwing coalition Coordinadora Democrática Nicaragüense participate in the elections or not, which "only complicated the efforts of the Coordinadora to develop a coherent electoral strategy."^[8] Ultimately the US administration public and private support for non-participation allowed those members of the Coordinadora who favoured a boycott to gain the upper hand.^[8]

“A coalition of right-wing parties including the Social Christians, the misleadingly named right-wing Social Democrats, and the Constitutional Liberal Party, calling itself the ‘Democratic Coordinating Committee’ (Coordinadora), decided to abstain from the elections on the grounds that the opposition parties had been given insufficient ‘guarantees,’ and not enough time to prepare for the elections. The Coordinadora’s abstentionism was publicly supported by the US government, which hoped to challenge the legitimacy of the November elections by alleging that opposition sectors were not able to participate. But despite US intervention and the Coordinadora abstention seven political parties took part in the November elections. The three right-wing parties which put forward candidates were the PCDN, PLI, and PPSC. The three opposing left-wing parties were the PSN, PC de N and MAPML.” ^[9]

Aftermath

The Reagan administration denounced the 1984 vote as a ‘Soviet-style sham’ despite contrary opinions from external observers and the international press, escalated its diplomatic and propaganda campaign against the Sandinista government, and increased military aid to the Contras. “This undercut the new regime’s legitimacy abroad and frustrated its hopes that the 1984 vote might smooth the way at home.” ^[10] May 1985 saw a trade embargo imposed, followed by $27m of "non-lethal" aid to the Contras, supplemented by $37m of secret "lethal" aid.^[2] This led to the October 1985 reimposition of a State of Emergency in Nicaragua.^[2]

Presidential election results^[11]

Candidate	Party/Alliance	Votes	%
José Daniel Ortega Saaveda	Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)	735,967	66.97%
Clemente Guido Chavez	Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN)	154,327	14.04%
Virgilio Godoy Reyes	Independent Liberal Party (PLI)	105,560	09.60%
Mauricio Díaz Dávila	Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC)	61,199	05.56%
Allan Zambrana Salmerón	Communist Party of Nicaragua (PC de N)	16,034	01.45%
Domingo Sánchez Salgado	Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN)	14,494	01.31%
Isidro Téllez Toruño	Marxist-Leninist Popular Action Movement (MAP ML)	11,352	01.03%
Total valid votes		1,098,933	100%
Spoilt and invalid votes		71,209	06.09%
Total votes/Turnout		1,170,142	75.42%
Registered voters		1,551,597	–
Population		3,165,000	–

Legislative election ^[12]

Parties and alliances	Votes	%	Seats
Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)	729,159	66.78%	61
Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN)	152,883	14.00%	14
Independent Liberal Party (PLI)	105,497	09.66%	09
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC)	61,525	05.63%	06
Communist Party of Nicaragua (PC de N)	16,165	01.48%	02
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN)	15,306	01.40%	02
Marxist-Leninist Popular Action Movement (MAP ML)	11,343	01.03%	02
Total valid votes	1,091,878	100%	96
Spoilt and invalid votes	78,224	06.69%	–
Total votes/Turnout	1,170,142	75.41%	–
Registered voters	1,551,597	–	–
Population	3,165,000	–	–

References

1. ^ Williams, Philip J. “Elections and democratization in Nicaragua: the 1990 elections in perspective.” Journal of Interamerican Studies 32, 4:13-34 (winter 1990). p15
2. ^ ^{a b c} Williams (1990:19)
3. ^ Noam Chomsky, Central America: The Next Phase, Z-Magazine, March 1988. footnote 39
4. ^ Monty G. Marshall and Keith Jaggers, Polity IV Project: Political Regime Characteristics and Transitions, 1800-2010, http://www.systemicpeace.org/polity/Nicaragua2008.pdf
5. ^ Cornelius, Wayne A. “The Nicaraguan elections of 1984: a reassessment of their domestic and international significance.” Drake, Paul W. and Eduardo Silva. 1986. Elections and democratization in Latin America, 1980-85. La Jolla: Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, Institute of the Americas, University of California, San Diego. Pp. 62.
6. ^ Williams (1990:17-18)
7. ^ Williams (1990:18)
8. ^ ^{a b c} Williams, Philip J. “Elections and democratization in Nicaragua: the 1990 elections in perspective.” Journal of Interamerican Studies 32, 4:13-34 (winter 1990). p16
9. ^ Smith, Hazel. Nicaragua: self-determination and survival. London : Pluto Press. 1993. Pp. 149.
10. ^ Booth, John A. “Electoral observation and democratic transition in Nicaragua.” Electoral observation and democratic transitions in Latin America. 1998. La Jolla: Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California, San Diego. Pp. 189.
11. ^ Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.] : Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.502.
12. ^ Elections in the Americas : a data handbook / ed. by Dieter Nohlen, Vol. 1. [Oxford] [u.a.] : Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. Pp.495.

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