桑定民族解放陣線對尼加拉瓜政治發展之影響(1990-2002)

Abstract

On 19 July 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front（FSLN） overthrew the Anastasio Somoza regime; and through the election in 1984, the leader of the FSLN, Daniel Ortega Saavedra obtained the legitimacy and legality in power and became the Nicaraguan president. But during the time when he was in power, the measures he adopted, including the composite economic policy, nonalignment foreign policy, plural politics and land nationalization policy, conflicted with those with vested interests. In addition, Ortega himself was involved in the revolutionary movementss of other countries of Central America. This had not only resulted in an antipathy among his people, but also prompted U.S.A. to take necessary actions to safeguard the interests of Central America. During the general presidential election in 1990, the National Opposition Union obtained the victory. Chamorro, Violeta Barrios became the newly appointed president. Daniel Ortega transferred the regime peacefully; from then on, the FSLN became an opposition party. After going through the two general presidential elections in 1996 and 2001, the FSLN was still unable to win the elections and remained the biggest opposition party of Nicaragua. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the FSLN’s change as an opposition party and its contribution to the democratization of Nicaragua. Also, this thesis will investigate the reason why the once popularly-supported political party with ideals of reform was unable to obtain the Nicaraguan voter's favor in the general elections in 1990, 1996 and 2001? In addition, what was the main contributing factor that had caused the FSLN to break its relationship with Nicaraguan Catholic Church? Were Nicaragua’s election results influenced by a U.S. intervention; or were they simply the outcome of the FSLN’s wrong election campaign tactics? Or was it simply because the ideas the FSLN had insisted were not shared by Nicaraguan voters? This study will analyze the public opinion polls of all previous general presidential elections and the transition of the FSLN; also, from the viewpoint of public opinion, this study will investigate the evolution of the FSLN since 1990s and its impact on the democratization process of Nicaragua.