Nicaragua opposition rejects poll results amid fresh clashes

Nicaragua's opposition rejected results of weekend local elections which gave a large victory to the ruling Sandinistas, as fresh violence broke out between supporters of both parties. The Sandinista National Liberation Front of President Daniel Ortega won 91 out of 146 municipalities, including the capital, according to an official count of 86 percent of the vote. The polls were marred by violence and allegations of fraud. A spokesman for the main opposition Liberal Constitutional Party said they sought a recount using local and international observers. A US-backed election monitoring organization called "Ethics and Transparency" recorded irregularities in 32 percent of the polling places it monitored. New violence broke out between supporters of both sides in the capital Managua last week. One person was killed an several wounded, according to the opposition. The Ortega government came under fire before the voting had begun for barring two opposition parties from fielding mayoral candidates and for police raids against non-governmental organizations.