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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has proposed extending the presidential term from six to seven years, as part of a constitutional reform that would also bar opposition members deemed "traitors" or "coup plotters" from running for office. The reform, sent to Congress and previewed by Congress President Gustavo Porras, is expected to be approved in September, according to reports from Al Jazeera and the BBC.Coverage Comparison
Al Jazeera reported that Ortega aims to exclude "traitors" and "coup-plotting" opposition members from elections, while extending the presidential term to seven "renewable" years. The outlet noted that Congress President Gustavo Porras previewed the content of the reform on Tuesday, though he provided few details. Al Jazeera also highlighted Ortega's recent statements that there would be no elections in Nicaragua, as well as criticism and sanctions from the international community.The BBC's coverage focused on the proposed extension as part of a broader constitutional reform, noting that the government-controlled National Assembly is expected to approve it in September. The BBC reported that Ortega's rule has become increasingly authoritarian, with political opponents jailed, sent into exile, or stripped of their citizenship.
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Ortega's proposal, as outlined by Congress President Gustavo Porras, reads: "Our system of government, under the presidency of the people, proposes to be organised with an effective term of seven renewable years," according to Al Jazeera. The reform follows recent statements by Ortega that there would be no elections in the Central American nation, as a means of preventing the opposition from "seizing the government," the outlet reported.The proposed constitutional reform includes plans to bar opposition members deemed "traitors" or "coup plotters" from running for office. The BBC reported that these measures are part of a broader pattern of increasingly authoritarian rule under Ortega, who has been in power since 2007.
Both outlets noted that previous changes to the presidential term have been made. In 2014, the National Assembly scrapped presidential term limits, and in 2024 it extended the term from five to six years, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera added that the 2024 amendment also elevated Ortega's wife, Rosario Murillo, from vice president to "co-president" and postponed planned elections until late 2027.
Ortega's current term began in January 2022 after an election in November 2021, amid growing criticism and sanctions from much of the international community, led by the United States and the European Union, as reported by Al Jazeera. The BBC noted that Murillo could assume the presidency should Ortega, who is believed to be in frail health, be declared "permanently absent."
Al Jazeera reported that Nicaragua has been in the midst of a political crisis since April 2018, when Ortega responded to antigovernment protests with a crackdown that killed more than 300 people. The outlet also referenced Ortega's statements that there would be no more elections in Nicaragua, which were condemned by the UN rights chief.