MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tightening the noose on Nicaragua's opposition

A coalition of seven nations, the World Bank and the European Union warned Nicaragua it must preserve the rule of the law to ensure continued financial assistance from the Budget Support Group.

The group's coordinator in Managua, Swiss diplomat Jurg Benz, said at a press conference Wednesday that the rule of law must prevail because there's no other way to justify aid provided by taxpayers from donor countries.

"It's essential for the recipient country to have solid macroeconomic policies as well as anti-poverty programs, free and fair elections, accountability and anti-corruption measures", highlighted Mr. Benz.

The Budget Support Group which includes Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, Britain and Finland, along with the World Bank and the European Union, is aware and supportive of the Nicaraguan administration's efforts to curb corruption, added the European diplomat.

But Belz also underscored that those efforts must extend to other government institutions and branches and urged joint efforts so that it is possible to disburse the aid Nicaraguans need so much to improve their living conditions.

Nicaragua's Finance Ministry announced Wednesday that the administration is working for a 96 million US dollars aid package from the Budget Support Group this year, and an additional 83 million US dollars in 2006.

However all grants are conditioned to donor countries approval and a recommendation from the International Monetary Fund outlining the results of the mission it is sending to Nicaragua in the near future.

Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños administration's has been blocked for over a year by Congress which is controlled by a tactical alliance of centre-right Liberals and leftist Sandinistas who have put aside their ideological differences with the purpose of ousting Mr. Bolaños and his anti corruption campaign.

Actually Congress has approved several constitutional amendments wresting power from the Executive branch and recently lifted the immunity of several Cabinet members, clearing the way to prosecute them for alleged campaign-finance irregularities dating back to 2001.

Bolaños enraged his own Liberal colleagues by pursuing an anti-corruption crusade that led to the conviction of predecessor Arnoldo Aleman, who retains control of the party and is accused by the president of making concessions to the Sandinistas in hopes of winning their support for a pardon.