Dominican Republic condemns Ortega’s claim that Nicaragua will hold no more elections

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic on Wednesday strongly condemned recent statements by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who said that “there will be no more elections” in the Central American nation, describing the remarks as a rejection of the fundamental principles of representative democracy.

In a statement, the Dominican government said Ortega’s comments disregard the Nicaraguan people’s right to freely choose their leaders through periodic, free, fair, transparent, and plural elections.

The government cited Article 1 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which states that “the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” It also emphasized that free and fair elections, universal and secret suffrage, political pluralism, respect for human rights, and the rule of law are essential and inalienable elements of representative democracy.

The Dominican Republic stressed that no government has the authority to deny its citizens the opportunity to periodically express their sovereign will through the ballot box or to unilaterally eliminate elections as the legitimate mechanism for the peaceful transfer of power.

The government called on Nicaraguan authorities to reverse their position and fully guarantee the political rights and fundamental freedoms of the Nicaraguan people, including the right to participate in authentic, competitive, and democratic elections.

The statement concludes by reaffirming the Dominican Republic’s commitment to the defense of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, describing them as shared obligations assumed by the countries of the Americas.