(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in Nicaragua are dissatisfied with the leadership of Daniel Ortega, according to a poll by CID-Gallup published in La Prensa. 56 per cent of respondents rate their president’s performance as bad or very bad, up 13 points since February.

In November 2006, Ortega—a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)—won the presidential election with 37.99 per cent of all cast ballots. Presidential candidates in Nicaragua are not compelled to garner more than 50 per cent of the vote in order to win the election.

Ortega governed from 1985 to 1990, but was a losing candidate in the 1990, 1996 and 2001 ballots. In January 2007, he was sworn in for a five-year term.

Earlier this month, the government’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) revoked the political party status of the Sandinista Renewal Movement (MRS) and the right-leaning Conservative Party (PC). The tribunal cited technical reasons for the decision.

On Jun. 20, MRS president Dora María Téllez—a former guerrilla member—led a street demonstration to accuse the government of corruption. Téllez deemed the TSE’s decision to dismantle her party as "politically motivated" and warned that the MRS, which holds five seats in the legislature, will continue to organize street protests against Ortega’s government and call for his resignation.

Polling Data

How do you rate Daniel Ortega’s performance as president?

Source: CID-Gallup / La Prensa
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,260 Nicaraguan adults, conducted from Jun. 5 to Jun. 11, 2008. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.

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