Nicaragua Government

Who is the president of Nicaragua?

Executive Branch:

chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Rosario MURILLO Zambrana (since 10 January 2017)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits as of 2014); election last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held by November 2021)

election results: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%

Citizenship Criteria:

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist

residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Legal System:

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal

Legislative Branch:

description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote; 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 6 November 2016 (next to be held by November 2021)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 71, PLC 14, ALN 2, PLI 2, APRE 1, PC 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 50, women 42, percent of women 45.7%

Judicial Branch:

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms

subordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and military courts

Regions or States:

15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Political Parties and Leaders:

Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES]

Conservative Party or PC [Alejandro BOLANOS Davis]

Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Indalecio RODRIGUEZ]

Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA]

Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti]

Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]

Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Ana Margarita VIJIL]

International Law Organization Participation:

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation:

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker (since 23 June 2010)

chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, 6573

FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545

consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic Representation from US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Phyllis M. POWERS (since 24 April 2012)

embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

mailing address: American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021

telephone: [505] 2252-7100, 2252-7888; 2252-7634 (after hours)

FAX: [505] 2252-7250