Managua, November 6 (RHC)-- Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council, the CSE, has announced that the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front party, or FSLN, is leading the country’s municipal elections. 

The FSLN, according to the CNE, has received 73.65 percent of votes thus far.  Meanwhile, the right-wing Constitutionalist Liberal Party has received 13.77 percent of votes.  Other parties opposed to the Sandinistas received less than two percent of the votes cast. 

The CNE’s preliminary report, announced Sunday night, found that the FSLN won the departmental capitals of Managua, Matagalpa, Granada, Chinandega, Jinotepe, Boaco, Juigalpa, Esteli, Jinotega, Leon, Masay and Somoto. 

Nicaragua’s municipal elections involved 153 mayoral seats as well as 6,088 city council positions.  The elections were attended by 60 international observers belonging to a mission of the Organization of American States, or OAS, and about 5,000 student volunteers from the National Council of Universities. 

Chief OAS election observer Wilfredo Penco acknowledged that Nicaragua’s municipal elections proceeded “normally” and “peacefully.” 

Meanwhile, CSE President Roberto Rivas announced during his preliminary report that participation was somewhere between 52 and 53 percent.