An Introduction To The Nicaraguan Government

Politics of Nicaragua takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Nicaragua is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Government

Nicaragua's type of government is called republic. A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose governance is based on popular representation and control. The constitution started on January 9, 1987. The constitution reforms in 1995, 2000, and 2005.

The Executive Branch:
Chief of State: President Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Vice President: Jaime Morales Carazo
Cabinet: Council of Ninisters appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a six-year term

The Exectutive

The constitution provides for a strong executive branch, although the legislative and judicial branches retain significant powers of their own. Under the constitution, the president has broader powers than does the president of the United States. The president is commander in chief of the military, has the power to appoint all ministers and vice ministers of his or her cabinet, and proposes a national budget. The executive shares legislative powers that allow him or her to enact executive decrees with the force of law in fiscal and administrative matters, as well as to promulgate regulations to implement the laws. The president assumes legislative pwers when the National Assembly is in recess. He or she has extraordinary pwers during national emergencies, including the pwers to suspend basic civil liberties and to prepare and approve the national budget. The president's term was set a six years.

The Legislature

The 1987 constitution replaced the bicameral Congress with a unicameral National Assembly. Confirmed by the 1987 constitution consists of ninety members directly elected by a system of proportional representation plus any unelected presidential or vice presidential candidates who receive a certain percentage of the vote. The terms are for six years, to run concurrently with the president's term. The National Assembly has significant powers. Under the constitution, representatives to the National Assembly propose legislation, which is made law by a simple majority of the representatives present if the National Assembly has a quorum (a quorum is half the total number of representatives, plus one). The National Assembly can override a presidential veto by quorum. The constitution also gives the National Assembly the pwer "to consider, discuss and approve" the budget presented by the president. The National Assembly chooses the seven member of the Supreme Court from lists probided by the president and has the authority to "officially interpret the laws," a prerogative the gives the National Assembly judical pwers.

The Judiciary

Under the 1987 constitution, the Supreme Court is an independent branch of government, whose member aer selected for six-year terms by the National Assembly from lists submitted by the president. From those members, the president selects the head of the Supreme Court. The constitution also provides that the Supreme Court justices appoint judges to the lower courts. Supreme Court justices can only be removed constitutionally "for reasons determined by law."

Local Government

Municipal governments have introduced a new element to Nicaraguan politics. The first municipal gobernments were selected in 1990. Under the provisions of the law, citizens vote directly for council members. The number of these depends on the size of the cities. Once elected, council members select their own leader, the mayorm who serves with their approval. The municipal government are control of uban development; use of the land, sanitation, rainwater drainage, and enviromental protection, construction and maintenance of roads, parks, sidewalks, plazas, bridges, recreational aresa, and cemeteries, verfication of weights and measures and establishment of museums, libraries, and other cultural activites. The primary taxing power of municipal governments is assessment on property, including houses and veichles.

Power!