THE SANDINISTA government in Nicaragua has • set the date for the country's first elections since the 1979 revolution for 4 November this year. The date is significant, presidential election in the United States. If the FSLN wins the elections, which seems overwhelmingly the most probable result, able to utilise the argument that the Nicaraguan government is a 'dictatorship' to justify an invasion.
The Sandinistas also announced the lowering of the voting age to 16 for the This is both an exemplary move and will extend the franchise to the FSLN's most solid base of support in the youth.
Opposition movement leaders now rapidly moving towards a position of boycotting the elecBOLA Ine Democratic Conservative the Constitu tionalist Liberal seem likely to adopt such a position.
Obviously a boycott of e elecho ovinese torce would stem from the fear Dollical defeat. British observers in including representatives of the iberal the have declared that they are satisfied that the elections will fair free.
The same will not be true of the forthcoming Salvador, scheduled for 25 March. In order to get on the ballot, any candidate has to present the names and addresses of hundreds of supporters the government. Anyone signng the nomination list of Canadate cạn expect a night-time VISIl irom the death squads.
tact. the election. which are being boycotted by the FDR/FMLN coming just two days before the Reagan will not be which will not take place in large parts of the country under their control, are a Derween Christian Democratic forHIcl president Napolean Duarte Roberto D'Aubuisson, leader of the extreme right ARENA death squad supremo.
In the Salvadorcan middle classes, petrified by the advances of the D AuDuISSOr overwhelmingly more Duarte and ikely to win a runaway VICtUl y United States, although embarassed by such an outcome, seems reconciled to going along with it. George Schultz. US Secretary of State, indicated atter a visit to San Salvador that the US would accept the election verdict.
US cooperation with D' Aubuisson would another indication of Reagan's decision to seek military victory EI Febuary, former US ambassador to El Salvador Robert White claimed that the United States knew that D'Aubisson was the effective leader of the death squads, and had personalgiven the instructions Lne assassmaton of Archbishop Romero, radical bishop San Sal Washingtont February 1980. did nothing with this information, he United States also claimed White. suffered all embarrasing diplomatic last week with the resignation Reagan's 'special voy' to central America, Richard Stone. , stone nas been involved in trying to make diplomatic contact with the Salvadorean revolutionary forces. His although resignalon allegedly for 'personal' reasons, was widely interpreted signalling disagreement with Reagan's 'military victory or bust' approach Meanwhile the United States continues to claim the Hulla rights situation in El Salvador is better'. But the actual United Nations Human Rights Commission claim.
week number of political killings over the past 1z months was more tahn 5,000.
They attributed the overwhelming majority of these killings to the right wing death squads, which everybody sponsored by the officers Roberto D'Aubisson, death squad supremo of the National Guard and army. The figures given for polnical murder. the government itself was While saying that the human rights situation was improving the State Department recently ad. mitted that govern ment used electric shock against captured members of the FMLN The United queuillas States also admits that the guerrillas now control tully one third of the country.