Political Quotes

“last fall the people of Nicaragua again chose the path of democracy by electing Liberal Alliance candidate Arnoldo Aleman decisively. In the wake of their second free and fair election of the 1990's, Nicaraguans must move just as decisively to consolidate democracy and strengthen their civil institutions. Nicaragua is on its way to recovery. With 3 years of economic growth, peace, and stability, the people of Nicaragua chose a candidate who emphasized economic reform and private sector-led growth as key planks in his platform. Nevertheless, President Aleman has his work cut out for him. Nicaragua continues to have a precarious balance-of-payment position and is heavily dependent upon foreign assistance. Although the economy has grown recently, the country remains very poor, with a per capita income of $470 per year. Strengthening the rule of law was a campaign theme of the President, and he inherits a court system that has become a bottleneck as problems of crime and property disputes have proliferated. It is imperative for Nicaragua to address this question if foreign investors are to have any confidence in Nicaragua's future. The United States and other donors have provided $4 billion to Nicaragua since 1990, and for the coming fiscal year USAID has requested an additional $22 million to deepen and expand the economic reforms and enhance the legitimacy of civil institutions.”