Democracy in the Jungle: Debating the Will of the People in Nicaragua
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2008
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Haverford College. Department of Political Science
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
In 1990, with the inauguration of Violeta Chamorro as the first democratically elected President, Nicaragua formally transitioned from centuries of internal conflict, foreign intervention and centralized authoritarian power, to procedural democracy. Transitions to democracy are never black and white, they are often protracted struggles that suffer from setbacks and require constant reevaluation. In order to assess Nicaragua's current democratic quality, this study will focus on two current political phenomena, the power sharing pact between former President Arnoldo Alemάn and President Daniel Ortega, and Ortega's recently imposed Councils of Citizen Power, and how they have impacted democratic progress. The pact was necessary for a constitutional amendment that lowered the necessary threshold for election to Executive office and allowed Ortega to be reelected after three consecutive losses. Since his inauguration in January 2007 Ortega has quickly begun to consolidate executive power. He has also introduced a secondary level of government formatted on the model of associational bodies that have caused high levels of controversy and framed the current debate surrounding the model of democracy that the Nicaraguan people want. These phenomena help to paint a picture of a Nicaragua that enjoys formal classification as a democracy and conducts regular elections, but faces serious challenges to the stability and quality of democracy. Strong opposition to Ortega's policies are not simply protest within a stable democratic system but a sign that much of the country is isolated from Ortega's government and genuinely concerned about a democratic future for Nicaragua. If Charles Tilly's normative standard is to be adhered to, that democracy is "the only game in town" these idiosyncrasies in Nicaraguan politics should certainly demonstrate that there are many more games in town. While a working definition will be established and employed, this examination is concerned with the spirit of democracy; is the will of the people reflected in the governance of the country?