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Lewites Becomes Frontrunner in Nicaragua
March 16, 2006
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Former Managua mayor Herty Lewites is the early favourite in Nicaragua’s presidential election, according to a poll by Borge y Asociados. 27.3 per cent of respondents would vote for Lewites in this year’s ballot.

Former Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) member and presidency secretary Eduardo Montealegre is second with 21.7 per cent, followed by former president Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) with 18.3 per cent, José Antonio Alvarado of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) with 5.6 per cent, and former president Arnoldo Alemán with 2.6 per cent.

Lewites headed the government of Nicaragua’s capital from 2001 to 2005, but was expelled from the FSLN in February 2005. In March 2005, the party officially designated Ortega as its presidential nominee. Ortega governed from 1985 to 1990, but was a losing candidate in the 1990, 1996 and 2001 ballots.

The PLC will choose its candidate during a convention of party members in April. In 2001, the PLC’s Enrique Bolaños won the presidential election with 56.3 per cent of the vote. The president lost the support of the PLC in January 2002, when his government decided to take legal action against Alemán. Last year, the former head of state—who governed the country from 1997 to 2002—was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud, money laundering and embezzlement.

The next presidential and legislative election is scheduled for Nov. 5. In the event no contender receives 40 per cent of all cast ballots, the first place finisher can only avoid a run-off by holding a five-point advantage over the closest rival.

Polling Data

Who would you vote for in the presidential election if the candidates were these?

Feb. 2006
Nov. 2005

Herty Lewites
27.3%
28.0%

Eduardo Montealegre
21.7%
26.2%

Daniel Ortega
18.3%
18.5%

José Antonio Alvarado
5.6%
5.8%

Arnoldo Alemán
2.6%
--

Not sure
16.3%
2.8%



Source: Borge y Asociados
Methodology: Interviews with 1,008 Nicaraguan adults, conducted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 26, 2006. Margin of error is 3.2 per cent.