The Nicaraguan Congress is taking action to end elections under President Ortega’s rule

Nicaraguan lawmakers have announced plans to end elections in the Central American country, following President Daniel Ortega’s announcement at the weekend that there will be no more elections, which has greatly angered the world.

This move was revealed on Tuesday by the Nicaraguan congress, which is in the hands of Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Lawmakers say the planned constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua’s “peace, security and stability.”

With the announcement, lawmakers made good on Ortega’s promise that there would be no more elections, and closed off any way for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with Murillo, whose constitutional reforms have elevated him to the position of “president”.

“There will be no more elections here for them to try to take over the government and take over,” Ortega said Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which Ortega took part in the overthrow of US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza.

NICARAGUA’S ORTEGA SAYS THE COUNTRY WILL ‘NEVER HOLD ELECTIONS, SHUT OFF THE OPPOSITION.

“The days when the groups supported by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas will return to power are over – they will not happen again,” he said.

The announcement appeared to end the possibility of a future election challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue to consolidate control of the country’s political institutions.

Ortega and Murillo have expanded their mandate with sweeping constitutional changes that take effect in 2025. These reforms included extending the presidential term from five to six years and placing the legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the president.

The two now control almost every branch of government, including the military, police and judiciary.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longtime leader, is in power until early 2028, although his statement on Sunday effectively canceled Nicaragua’s next election, scheduled for November 2027.

Critics say Ortega has effectively ended electoral competition during the 2011, 2016 and 2021 elections.

REPUBLICAN REP MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR SAYS, ‘AFTER CUBA, NICARAGUA IS NEXT’

President Daniel Ortega’s promise to cancel the election drew widespread criticism from the international community. (Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg)

Many prominent opposition leaders have been arrested, forced into exile or stripped of Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition groups and civil society organizations have lost their legal status.

A group of United Nations experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically abusing human rights as part of a campaign to suppress criticism and maintain its power. Experts say some alleged violations could amount to crimes against humanity.

The government began a crackdown on violence against anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the violence, according to international human rights groups.

Ortega’s attempt to end the election drew widespread criticism from foreign governments, including the US

“Daniel Ortega’s announcement that under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never again hold elections exposes the true nature of their legitimacy. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have abandoned even the pretense of popular approval,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday.

“The people of Nicaragua have the right to choose their leaders through democratic elections. The United States asks the international community to cooperate to show the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations when it interferes with the basic principles of our democratic country,” he added.

The move to cancel the elections was announced by the Nicaraguan congress, which is in the hands of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. (INTI OCON/AFP)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their supporters. The State Department also imposed visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.

Volker Türk, the United Nations human rights commissioner, criticized Nicaragua’s legislative ambitions on Wednesday, saying “people of all political persuasions must be allowed to vote and run for office.”

“These recent events deepen the strict restrictions on basic freedoms, the destruction of public spaces and the erosion of the rule of law,” Türk said in a statement.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.