MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
16.12.2008
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Cristiana Muscardini, Ryszard Czarnecki, Adam Bielan, Ewa Tomaszewska, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski
on behalf of the UEN Group
on the situation in Nicaragua
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B6-0629/2008
B6‑0637/2008
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Nicaragua
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on placeplaceNicaragua,
- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A whereas at the local elections held on 8 November 2008, the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front won in 105 out of 146 municipalities, including the capital Managua and whereas on 22 November 2008 these results were confirmed by the Supreme Electoral Council,
B whereas members of the liberal opposition say that the voter fraud was widespread and claim to have an incontrovertible proof of it,
C whereas the tension has been rising across the country since the controversial election amid clashes between government supporters and opponents, with two persons dead and several injured,
D whereas the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and several Nicaraguan NGOs have expressed serious doubts about the level of transparency during the voting process,
E whereas two parties were banned from running in this election claiming they had not been constituted according to the law although they had run in precedent electoral races,
F whereas for the first time since 1990, independent local observers and organisations as well as international electoral observers were refused accreditation to monitor the election by the government,
G whereas such organizations reported about oppression and intimidation acts by authorities and by militants of the Sandinista party and about anomalies in 35% of all voting centres,
H whereas two journalists of the national daily La Prensa were brutally ejected from a polling station in Managua and punched by Sandinista party members, and whereas around the capital many media representatives were denied access to polling stations, despite having been accredited by the Supreme Electoral Court,
1. Is deeply concerned with the present attitude of the Sandinista government in placeplaceNicaragua which is jeopardizing democracy in the country and could constitute a future danger for the whole region;
2. Calls on the Nicaraguan Government to uphold the principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights by ensuring that violence does not escalate; calls on the political parties to seek a negotiated solution to disputes around the elections and to condemn any acts of violence by their supporters;
3. In the context of the Partnership Agreement negotiations between European Union and Central American countries, calls for Nicaragua to be reminded of the fulfilment of the principles of respect of the State of Law, democracy and Human Rights, defended and promoted by the European Union;
4. Calls on the EP delegation for relations with Central America, which will visit Nicaragua in February 2009, to approach both the government coalition and the opposition parties in order express the concern and the criticism of the European Parliament and to meet as well the civil society organizations involved in the electoral observation;
5. Recalls that Nicaragua has been included by the Commission in the list of the beneficiary countries of the GSP + system for the period 2009-2011 and that one of the conditions to get access to this beneficial regime is the full implementation of 27 core UN and ILO conventions, including the respect of governance principles and therefore the capacity of holding fair and democratic elections;
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government and the Parliament of Nicaragua and to the civil society organisations, including "Ethics and Transparency".