Nicaragua opposition seeks OAS intervention in political struggle, says democracy threatened

Nicaragua opposition calls on OAS to intervene

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua’s four opposition parties are asking the Organization of American States to intervene in their power struggle with leftist President Daniel Ortega.

The petition Friday asks for unspecified OAS actions “to save representative democracy.”

Nicaragua has seen increasing political turmoil since Ortega extended the terms of two friendly Supreme Court justices and about 20 other judges whose time in office was up.

Congress has the power to name judges but has been unable to because no party has a majority.

Ortega says the extensions have avoided judicial paralysis, while opponents accuse him of a power grab. He has depended on sympathetic judges for rulings such as one last year that may let him seek re-election.