Open Election?

In a colorful celebration of national pride, the Sandinista government of Nicaragua last week commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of its martyred hero, Augusto Cesar Sandino. Brigades of young cotton and coffee pickers poured in from the countryside to the capital city of Managua, filling the main plaza with placards and rhythmic hand clapping. They were performing for themselves and for scores of foreign observers, invited by the Marxist-oriented leaders to witness the announcement that democratic elections would be held Nov. 4.

The crowd of 50,000 cheered wildly as Junta Coordinator Daniel Ortega read off a guest list extending from Afghanistan to Zambia. They cheered louder still when Ortega proposed lowering the voting age from 18 to 16, a move less democratic than canny, since the Sandinistas' main support derives from the young. When the cheering abated, however, some serious questions remained.

To give the election credibility, the Sandinistas need a bona fide challenge. On the other hand, the only formidable opponent to the regime may provide more of a challenge than the government cares to see. Arturo Cruz, 54, a former Sandinistation parties. The government leadership has tried to discredit Cruz in the past. Nonetheless, after considerable debate, Interior Minister Tomas Borge grudgingly announced last week that Cruz would be allowed to return to Nicaragua from self-imposed exile in Washington, D.C., and could present himself as a presidential candidate. But, Borge admitted, "I'm personally not going to send out a welcoming committee."

Even if Cruz decides not to run for President, the Sandinistas will have problems. Opposition parties are threatening a boycott unless the government lifts the current state of emergency, which allows the Sandinistas to control both the press and the army. Ortega announced that the opposition would be given equal media time and access to government funding, but it is still unclear exactly how freely it will be alc lowed to function. Junta Member Carlos Nunez, wary of the boycott threat, hinted that the government might consider lifting the emergency law as early as April.

U.S. officials are far from convinced that fair and proper procedures will be followed. Because of the vague operating rules and the curious timing of the election--two days before the U.S. presidential election--officials speculate that the Sandinistas want to divert attention from their own activities. For the Sandinistas the problem is clear-cut: how to create a free and open election, and make sure they win it.