TO PREVENT THE EMERGENCE OF A TRANSHIPMENT POINT FOR NK MISSILES BOUND
FOR VENEZUELA.
US Nicaragua envoy seeks to unite Ortega rivals
Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:07pm ET
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MANAGUA (Reuters) - The U.S. Ambassador in Nicaragua met with the
country's main right-wing parties on Monday to discuss their forming an
alliance to oppose leftist Daniel Ortega in November elections.
Without naming Ortega, a former president and leader of Nicaragua's
Sandinista revolution, U.S. envoy Paul Trivelli said his intention was
"to see if we can push the democratic unification of this country a
little more."
Trivelli has repeatedly criticized Ortega, who many think could return
to power and end the 16 years of pro-Washington government that
followed his 1990 ouster.
"We held discussions, they are going to send us a more formal response
and we'll see what happens," Trivelli told reporters after meeting with
ruling party candidate Jose Rizo and other conservative politicians.
The United States has a controversial history of involvement in
Nicaragua, though Trivelli said he is merely concerned with promoting
democracy in the Central American nation.
Pollsters say national support for the Sandinistas, who in the 1980s
led a Soviet and Cuban-backed government that battled U.S.-funded
Contra rebels, is growing ahead of the November 5 election.
Many voters say they are tired of U.S.-backed administrations that have
failed to raise living standards.
However Trivelli is lobbying right-wing parties to join forces and pick
a single candidate to represent them in the election, to reduce the
chances of a Sandinista victory.
Rizo, of the right-wing Liberal Constitutional Party, said Monday's
meeting was "very positive," but reaffirmed his intention to run for
his party in the election.
Ortega is making his fourth bid to regain the presidency and bring the
Sandinistas back to power.
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