amended to five years
party]--includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 51.03%, Daniel ORTEGA
Saavedra (FSLN) 37.75%, Guillermo OSORNO (PCCN) 4.10%, Noel VIDAURRE
(PCN) 2.26%, Benjamin LANZAS (PRONAL) 0.53%, other (18 other
candidates) remaining 4.33%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea
Nacional (93 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party--Liberal Alliance (ruling
party--includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%, PCCN
3.73%, PCN 2.12%, MRS 1.33%; seats by party--Liberal Alliance 42,
FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3, PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PNC 1, PLI 1, AU 1,
UNO-96 Alliance 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), 12 judges elected
for seven-year terms by the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders:
OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ]; Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC
Saavedra]

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Workers Front or
FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: Sandinista
Workers Central or CST; Farm Workers Association or ATC; Health
Workers Federation or FETASALUD; National Union of Employees or UNE;
National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN; Union of
Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN; Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of
Professional Associations or CONAPRO; and the National Union of
Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT
is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions:
Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS; Autonomous Nicaraguan
Workers Central or CTN-A; Independent General Confederation of Labor
or CGT-I; and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan
Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior
Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of
business groups

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco AGUIRRE Sacasa
chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
consul