Managua, August 4 (RHC)-- Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has announced that Rosario Murillo will run as his vice presidential candidate as part of a “joint government” in the November elections, with Ortega's Sandinista National Liberation Front in a strong position to win a third term.

Rosario Murillo is currently a government spokesperson and is also a poet and a long-time Sandinista leader. A recent poll had Daniel Ortega with 65 percent support, far ahead of any rival. Rosario Murillo was even more popular with 80 percent support.

Daniel Ortega, a former comandante with the Sandinistas, first served as president following the successful overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship in 1979. He will be running for a third consecutive term in office since being re-elected in 2007.

Daniel Ortega said: "We don't doubt that (the vice presidential candidate) had to be a woman, and who better than the partner who has already been tested with work and proved to be very efficient and disciplined?"

Since 2007, the Frente Sandinista, under the direction of Daniel Ortega, has helped the country improve its education and healthcare system. Ortega´s administration has worked to improve gender equality and make women an important part of the country's economy. The Nicaraguan president referred to his planned “joint government” as a symbol of male and female equality.

During their administration, the Sandinistas have strengthened and protected the rights of Nicaragua's Indigenous people and have been praised for progress on environmental issues, climate change and investment in the country's infrastructure.