Associated Press (AP) writes that the Constitutionalist Liberal Party, Nicaragua's main opposition party, labelled the nationwide municipal elections “fraudulent” and indicated that it “will ask either the OAS [Organization of American States], the United Nations or the European Union to review tally sheets.”

Bloomberg reports that preliminary electoral board results presented on 10 November indicate that “Sandinista mayors and deputy mayors hold a lead or have won outright in 94 of 146 townships.”

Etica y Transparencia (Ethics and Transparency), the Transparency International chapter in Nicaragua, said it had “recorded irregularities in 32 percent of the polling places it monitored,” reports Agence France Presse (AFP), noting that the group was “among many would-be election observers the government had refused to accredit.”

AP reports that “OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza expressed concern over the fraud allegations and urged Nicaraguans to resolve the controversy through dialogue. He pointedly noted that the presence of OAS observers would have been helpful in resolving such disputes.”

On 10 November, The US State Department “urged Nicaragua to ensure that municipal voting results reflect the will of the people, after noting that conditions were not conducive to fair elections,” according to AFP.

For his part, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has said he rejected the observers "because they are financed by outside powers" and “dismissed fraud allegations,” writes AP.

To read Etica y Transparencia’s statement on the situation please click here (English) or here (Spanish).