# 2016 Nicaraguan general election

General elections were held in Nicaragua on 6 November 2016 to elect the President, the National Assembly and members of the Central American Parliament. Incumbent President Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was re-elected for a third consecutive term amid charges he and the FSLN used their control of state resources to bypass constitutional term limits and hamstring political rivals. The FSLN benefited from strong economic growth and relatively low levels of crime compared to neighbouring countries.
According to the official results, Ortega was reelected with more than 70% of the votes. However, the election was questioned by the opposition due to the dismissal of sixteen opposition deputies months prior to the election and the complaints of both electoral fraud and voter intimidation.

## Background

Four months before the elections, the Nicaraguan Supreme Court removed the disputed Independent Liberal Party (PLI) leader Eduardo Montealegre from office, decreeing that Pedro Reyes was the leader of the PLI. After 16 deputies from the PLI and its Sandinista Renovation Movement ally objected, the Supreme Electoral Council ordered them removed from the National Assembly and empowered Reyes to select their replacements.

## Electoral system

The president was elected using first-past-the-post voting.
The 90 elected members of the National Assembly were elected by two methods; 20 members were elected from a single nationwide constituency, whilst 70 members were elected from 17 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from 2 to 19 seats. Both types of election were carried out using closed list proportional representation with no electoral threshold. A further two seats were reserved for the runner-up in the presidential election and the outgoing president (or their vice president).
Lists of candidates to the National Assembly and to the Central American Parliament had to be composed of 50% male and 50% female candidates.

## Conduct

In June 2016 Ortega announced international observers would not be allowed to oversee the elections. The Carter Center termed this "an attack on the international community... We...lament this decision to ignore a key portion of Nicaragua's own electoral law." However, less than two weeks before the elections, the Organization of American States accepted an invitation to send a delegation "to meet with experts and state bodies involved in the electoral process" from 5–7 November.
According to the official results, Ortega was reelected with more than 70% of the votes. However, the election was questioned by the opposition due to the dismissal of the opposition deputies, the lack of international observers and the complaints of both electoral fraud and voter intimidation.

## Results
### President

Ortega was widely expected to win due to the popularity of his social programmes and because he faced no obvious political challenger.
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Daniel Ortega | Sandinista National Liberation Front | 1,806,651 | 72.44 |
| | Maximino Rodríguez | Constitutionalist Liberal Party | 374,898 | 15.03 |
| | José Alvarado | Independent Liberal Party | 112,562 | 4.51 |
| | Saturnino Cerrato | Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance | 107,392 | 4.31 |
| | Erick Cabezas | Conservative Party | 57,437 | 2.30 |
| | Carlos Canales | Alliance for the Republic | 35,002 | 1.40 |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,493,942 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 2,493,942 | 96.51 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 90,246 | 3.49 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,584,188 | 100.00 |
| Source: CSE, IFES |||||

### National Assembly

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats | +/– |
| | Sandinista National Liberation Front | 1,590,316 | 65.86 | 14 | 1,608,395 | 65.62 | 56 | 70 | +8 |
| | Constitutionalist Liberal Party | 369,342 | 15.30 | 3 | 375,432 | 15.32 | 10 | 13 | +11 |
| | Independent Liberal Party | 162,043 | 6.71 | 1 | 117,626 | 4.80 | 1 | 2 | –24 |
| | Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance | 137,541 | 5.70 | 1 | 137,078 | 5.59 | 1 | 2 | +2 |
| | Conservative Party | 106,027 | 4.39 | 1 | 110,568 | 4.51 | 0 | 1 | +1 |
| | Alliance for the Republic | 49,329 | 2.04 | 0 | 70,939 | 2.89 | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| | YATAMA | | | | 30,901 | 1.26 | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| Special members | Special members | | | | | | | 2 | – |
| Total | Total | 2,414,598 | 100.00 | 20 | 2,450,939 | 100.00 | 70 | 92 | 0 |
| Source: CSE, El 19 Digital ||||||||||
* ↑ The runner-up in the presidential election (Maximino Rodríguez of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party) and the outgoing president are special members of the National Assembly; as Ortega was re-elected, outgoing Vice President Omar Halleslevens of the FSLN, who was not Ortega's running mate in these elections (having been replaced by Rosario Murillo), will take up his seat.

#### List of elected deputies

| Name | Party | Constituency |
| Adilia del Pilar Salinas Ortega | PLC | Chontales |
| Alba Estela González Torrez | FSLN | National |
| Alejandro Mejía Ferreti | ALN | National |
| Alfredo César Aguirre | PC | National |
| Alveris Beldramina Arias Siezar | FSLN | Managua |
| Ángela Espinoza Torrez | FSLN | Madriz |
| Antenor Enrique Urbina Leyva | FSLN | Costa Caribe Norte |
| Argentina del Socorro Parajón Alejos | FSLN | León |
| Arling Patricia Alonso Gómez | FSLN | Chinandega |
| Arturo José Valdez Robleto | FSLN | Costa Caribe Sur |
| Bayardo Antonio Chávez Mendoza | FSLN | Chinandega |
| Benita del Carmen Arbizú Medina | FSLN | León |
| Brooklyn Rivera Bryan | YATAMA | Costa Caribe Norte |
| Byron Rodolfo Jérez Solís | APRE | Managua |
| Carlos Alberto Jirón Bolaños | PLC | León |
| Carlos Emilio López Hurtado | FSLN | Managua |
| Carlos Wilfredo Navarro Moreira | FSLN | National |
| Corina González García | FSLN | Chontales |
| Delia María Law Blanco | FSLN | Granada |
| Dora Elena Rojas | FSLN | Chinandega |
| Douglas Alemán Benavídez | FSLN | Chontales |
| Edwin Ramón Castro Rivera | FSLN | Managua |
| Efrén José González Briones | FSLN | Madriz |
| Enrique Aldana Burgos | FSLN | Matagalpa |
| Enrique Javier Beteta Acevedo | FSLN | National |
| Evelin Patricia Aburto Torres | FSLN | Masaya |
| Félix Andrés Sandoval Jarquín | FSLN | Chinandega |
| Filiberto Jacinto Rodríguez López | FSLN | León |
| Florence Ivette Levy Wilson | FSLN | National |
| Giorgia Hilaria Juárez Cruz | FSLN | Chinandega |
| Gladis de los Ángeles Báez | FSLN | León |
| Gloria del Rosario Montenegro | FSLN | Jinotega |
| Guillermo Eduardo Arce Castaño | FSLN | Managua |
| Gustavo Eduardo Porras Cortés | FSLN | National |
| Haydée Azucena Castillo Barquero | PLC | National |
| Herberto Octavio Ruiz Morales | FSLN | Granada |
| Iris Marina Montenegro Blandón | FSLN | Managua |
| Irma de Jesús Dávila Lazo | FSLN | Matagalpa |
| Jacinto José Suárez Espinoza | FSLN | Managua |
| Jenny Azucena Martínez Gómez | FSLN | Masaya |
| Jimmy Harold Blandón Rubio | PLC | Managua |
| Johanna del Carmen Luna Lira | FSLN | Managua |
| José Antonio Zepeda López | FSLN | National |
| José Ramón Sarría Morales | FSLN | León |
| José Santos Figueroa Aguilar | FSLN | Managua |
| Josefina Roa Romero | FSLN | Carazo |
| Juana de los Ángeles Molina | FSLN | National |
| Juana Vicenta Argeñal Sandoval | FSLN | National |
| Juan Ramón Jiménez | FSLN | Carazo |
| Juan Ramón Meza Romero | FSLN | Jinotega |
| Juan Ramón Obregón Valdivia | FSLN | Jinotega |
| Justo Armando Peña Avilés | FSLN | Rivas |
| Laura Estela Bermúdez Robleto | FSLN | National |
| Lester Adrián Villarreal Pérez | PLC | Masaya |
| Loria Raquel Dixon Brautigam | FSLN | Costa Caribe Norte |
| Lucina Leonor Paz Rodríguez | FSLN | Boaco |
| Luis Coronel Cuadra | FSLN | Río San Juan |
| María Augustina Montenegro López | FSLN | Matagalpa |
| María Auxiliadora Martínez Corrales | FSLN | Granada |
| María Fernanda Ernestina Flores Lanza | PLC | Managua |
| María Haydée Osuna Ruiz | PLC | National |
| María Jilma Rosalez Espinoza | FSLN | Estelí |
| María Manuela Sacasa Selva | FSLN | National |
| Mario José Asensio Florez | PLI | Managua |
| Mario Valle Dávila | FSLN | Managua |
| Maritza del Socorro Espinales | FSLN | Managua |
| Maryinis Ibet Vallejoz Chavarría | FSLN | Rivas |
| Mauricio Orúe Vásquez | ALN | Managua |
| Maximino Rodríguez Martínez | PLC | – |
| Melba del Socorro Sánchez Suárez | FSLN | Managua |
| Melvin Martín Argucia Perrott | FSLN | Nueva Segovia |
| Miguel Anselmo Rosales Ortega | PLC | National |
| Mirta Mercedes Carrión Cano | PLC | Chinandega |
| Moisés Omar Halleslevens Acevedo | FSLN | – |
| Nasser Sebastián Silwany Báez | FSLN | Masaya |
| Odell Ángel Incer Barquero | FSLN | Boaco |
| Osorno Salomón Coleman | FSLN | National |
| Patricia Mercedes Sánchez Urbina | FSLN | Managua |
| Paul Antonio González Tenorio | PLC | Costa Caribe Sur |
| Pedro Antonio Haslam Mendoza | FSLN | National |
| Pedro Joaquín Treminio Mendoza | PLI | National |
| Perla Soledad Castillo Quintero | FSLN | Estelí |
| Reyna Juanita Rueda Alvarado | FSLN | National |
| Reynaldo Altamirano Alaniz | PLC | Matagalpa |
| Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro | FSLN | Matagalpa |
| Rosa Argentina Navarro Sánchez | PLC | Managua |
| Rosa Herminia Irias Figueroa | FSLN | Nueva Segovia |
| Rubén de Jesús Gómez Suárez | FSLN | Matagalpa |
| Santiago José Martínez Lacayo | FSLN | Carazo |
| Víctor Octavio Triminio Zavala | FSLN | Estelí |
| Walmaro Antonio Gutiérrez Mercado | FSLN | National |
| Walter Edén Espinoza Fernández | PLC | Managua |
| Source: PGR |||
* 1 2 The runner-up in the presidential election (Maximino Rodríguez of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party) and the outgoing president are special members of the National Assembly; as Ortega was re-elected, outgoing Vice President Omar Halleslevens of the FSLN, who was not Ortega's running mate in these elections (having been replaced by Rosario Murillo), will take up his seat.

### Central American Parliament

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Sandinista National Liberation Front | 1,673,627 | 68.45 | 15 | +2 |
| | Constitutionalist Liberal Party | 346,855 | 14.19 | 3 | +2 |
| | Independent Liberal Party | 139,618 | 5.71 | 0 | –6 |
| | Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance | 134,858 | 5.52 | 1 | +1 |
| | Conservative Party | 106,350 | 4.35 | 0 | – |
| | Alliance for the Republic | 43,905 | 1.80 | 1 | +1 |
| Total | Total | 2,445,213 | 100.00 | 20 | 0 |
| Source: CSE, El 19 Digital ||||||