Lagniappe

 

 

Miami Herald : Back to the future in Nicaragua?

Our Opinion: Ortega must show that he really is a changed leader


If at first you don't succeed . . . change the rules and see if you can do better next time. That may be the lesson behind the victory of Daniel Ortega in his fourth attempt to win the presidency of Nicaragua. The one-time Marxist firebrand says he is a changed man. For the sake of the people of Nicaragua, let's hope that he means it.

To be sure, he talks a good game. He has promised to respect private property, protect foreign investment and support the Central American Free Trade Agreement. That's a start, but the cynical methods he employed to win power leave plenty of room for doubt among those who fear that Mr. Ortega is simply engaged in a political con game designed solely to reach the presidency.

A sinister pact

First, Mr. Ortega made a sinister alliance with a one-time sworn enemy, former President Arnoldo Alemán, who remains a political boss even though he currently is serving a 20-year sentence for corruption. This deal paralyzed the government of President Enrique Bolaños and will probably result in Alemán's pardon. Armed with Alemán's political support, Mr. Ortega was able to change the electoral rules to lower the percentage of the vote he needed to become president.

Mr. Ortega also ousted the late Herty Lewites from the Sandinista Party rather than face him in a primary and possibly lose his own party's backing.

None of this bodes well for the future of Nicaragua. It's hard to discern the visage of a ''new'' Daniel Ortega behind the smoke of so much political brimstone, but if he wants to court his political opponents he can begin by acknowledging that more than 60 percent of the electorate voted against him and that he understands the need to mend fences.

Ortega must compromise

The plurality of just under 40 percent that Mr. Ortega won is hardly a mandate to govern from the left. The bulk of the votes went to center-right candidates, and that is where majority political sentiment lies.

The Sandinista regime of the 1980s was characterized by class warfare, strong-arm tactics and the destruction of political enemies. It didn't work then; it won't work now. If Mr. Ortega has really grown, he must engage in political compromise and be willing to listen instead of always shouting.

When he was in power, Mr. Ortega adopted a fierce anti-American stance and put Nicaragua into the pro-Cuba camp. That, too, was a blunder, just as it would be a mistake for him to link arms with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela today in some sort of anti-American hemispheric alliance.

Such a policy would be a distraction from solving the real problems of Nicaragua and risk alienating the United States -- for no real gain. U.S. officials say they are willing to give Mr. Ortega the benefit of the doubt. Now it's up to him.

 

MIami Herald is one Florida's most read news daily. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by Miami Herald, on 11/08/2006. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers.

Fair use Notice: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of environmental and humanitarian significance. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

All works published by Petroleumworld are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Petroleumworld has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Petroleumworld endorsed or sponsored by the originator. Petroleumworld encourages persons to reproduce, reprint, or broadcast

Petroleumworld articles provided that any such reproduction identify the original source, http://www.petroleumworld.com or else and it is done within the fair use as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated.

Petroleumworld 11/08/06

Copyright ©2006 Miami Herald. All Rights Reserved

Send this story to a friend

Your feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.

Write to editor@petroleumworld.com

Any question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com

Best Viewed with IE 5.01+
Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels