(hereinafter “the RAAN”) 4 within the legal time limit set in the call for municipal elections; 5
these were not challenged, and the list was published in the written media, as ordered by the
Electoral Law of Nicaragua. In the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (hereinafter “RAAS”),
YATAMA decided to participate 6 in an alliance with two other regional political parties, the
Partido Indígena Multiétnico (PIM) and the Partido de Pueblos Costeños (PPC). The PIM decided
to withdraw from the agreement before the alliance was formally established, and the PPC,
when registering candidates, did not get the number of signatures established by the Electoral
Law of Nicaragua to participate in the elections. As the alliance did not materialize, YATAMA,
with full powers to participate in the November 2000 elections, on July 20 sent the Supreme
Electoral Council (hereinafter “the CSE”) an urgent communication requesting that it be
authorized to participate in the RAAS individually, using only its name, emblem, and list of
candidates. The CSE did not answer the request; accordingly, it was repeated on July 31,
August 8, and August 9, 2000.
6. On August 15, 2000, the CSE handed down a resolution in which it resolved: First, not to
approve YATAMA’s request to register as YATAMA candidates those presented by the
YATAMA/PPC Alliance in the South Atlantic Autonomous Region, and second, not to register the
candidates submitted by YATAMA in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region. The CSE based its
resolution on the failure of the Partido de los Pueblos Costeños to obtain the number of
signatures required of political parties for participating in elections, under Nicaragua’s Electoral
Law, and that the candidates presented by YATAMA did not cover the percentage of
municipalities and candidacies required by the Electoral Law.
7. On August 18, 2000, the petitioners filed a motion for review (recurso de revisión) before
the Supreme Electoral Council against the above-mentioned resolution, yet it did not obtain a
response within the period provided for in Nicaraguan legislation. On August 30, 2000,
YATAMA brought an amparo action against the CSE before the Court of Appeals, North Atlantic
District, Civil and Labor Chamber, for its above-noted resolution of August 15. On October 11,
the appellate court decided to process the appeal, and suspended the effects of the resolution
challenged. The Supreme Court, on October 25, 2000, declared that the amparo action
pursued by YATAMA was unfounded; it based its decision on the final paragraph of Article 173
of the Constitution of Nicaragua, which notes: “No appeal shall be taken, regular or special, of
the rulings of the Supreme Council on electoral matters.” YATAMA was notified of that decision
on October 26, 2000.
4 YATAMA candidates to the RAAN: Municipality of Puerto Cabezas: Rodolfo Spear Smith, for mayor; Anicia Matamoros
Bushey, for deputy-mayor; Ovencio Maikell Barwell, Elmer Emsly Blanco, Winston Joel Livy, Roberto Labonte Centeno,
Minario Emsly Wilson, for the municipal council. Municipality of San Juan del Río Coco Waspan: Calistro Osorio Bans
M., for deputy mayor; Diego Guzmán Vanegas Allington, Gilberto Williams Jirón, Lucio Alfred Lacayo Kitler, Armando
Thomas, Bernaldo García Pantin, Remigio Narciso Zepeda, Antonio Reyes Waldan, Antonio Avila Gutiérrez, for the
municipal council. Municipality of Bonanza: Mario Peralta Bands, for mayor; Jorge Chacón Wilson, candidate for deputy
mayor; Ceferino Wilson Bell, Patricio López Dixon, Icasio Dixon Reyes, for municipal council. Municipality of Rosita:
Cristina Poveda Montiel, for mayor; Edison Johnny Anderson, Andrés López Martínez, for deputy mayor.
5 The deadline for submission of candidates was July 15, 2000.
6 YATAMA’s candidates to the RAAS were: Municipality of Bluefields: Manuel Salvador Paguagua García, for mayor,
Yahaira Yvonne Amador Gadea, for deputy mayor; Eustacio Flores Wilson, Ashmet Alexander Ally, Julio Cesar
Delagado Pacheco, Israel Díaz Amador, Angela Gibson Morales, Reynaldo Lagos Amador, Eduardo Alexander Siu
Estrada, Isabel Reyna Estrada Colindres, Lillian Elizabeth Francis Wilson, Carlos John Omeir, Nelly Sánchez Castillo,
Flor Deliz Bravo Carr, William Wong López, Genny Mitchell Omeir, Sergio Warren León Corea, Olga Orelia Shepperd
Hodgson, for municipal council. Municipality of El Tortuguero: Gorge Antonio Gutiérrez Robledo, for mayor, Pastora
Carmen García Guillén, for deputy mayor, Jacinta Pérez González, Juana María Jirón Rodríguez, Alejandro Miranda
Reyes, Sandra Esther Reyes López, Emelina Valle Solano, Andrea Lira Gaitán, Guillermina López García, and Hilda
María Miranda Reyes, for municipal council. Municipality of Sandy Bay Sirpi Desembocadura: Roberto Chow Molina, for
mayor; Edward Nixon Ellis Brooks, for deputy mayor; Kramwel Frank James, Donald Wilson Martínez Roland, Cristina
Josefina Hills Thompson, Carolina Socorro Hurtado Rocha, Carlos Julian Prudo, Norman Marcelina Inglish, Belarmino
Young Richard, and Hipólito García López, for municipal council. Municipality of Laguna de Perlas: Rodolfo Chang
Bennett, for mayor; Alonso Florencio Willis Tucker, for deputy mayor; Liston Hooker Allen, Constantino Franklin
Humpheys Hodgson, Jason Kenred Gutiérrez Peralta, Arlen Joan Peralta Davis, Wiliam Martín, Catalina Hamphys, Ilva
Bernard, and Wilma Taylor, for municipal council. Municipality of Kukra Hill: Juan Casterio Reyes Craford, for mayor;
José Mateo López Rigby, for deputy mayor; Dionicio Márquez Méndez, Ruth Vargas Smith, Leonor Hayde Maesk
Thompson, Miguel Amador Huete, Alicia Reyes, Roberto Ramos Renis, Hilda Estela Méndez, and Samuel Walter Lemos
Fedrick, for municipal council. Municipality of Com Island: Dayne Wiston Cash Cassanova, for mayor; Cristina Morris
Anisal, for deputy mayor; Lorenzo Fidencio Britton Calderon, Keston Orville López Lewis, Lowell Alvin Rigby Downs,
Marlene del Socorro Hebert Escorcia, Vaden Davis Downs White, Erick Alvaro Archobol Lavonte, and Olga María
Leyman Francis, for municipal council. Municipality of La Cruz de Río Grande: Exibia Alarcón Herrera, for mayor; Gloria
Maritza Colindres Romero, for deputy mayo;, Angela Barbarina Hurtado, Juan Francisco Díaz Matamoro, Marcelino
Lanzas Amador, Juan Carlos Loaisiga, Digno Díaz González, Gloria Isabel Lira Díaz, Maritza Colado Plazaola, and
Teodora Duarte Sequeira, for municipal council.
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