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WOMEN'S ISSUES, ABORTION, EXPLODE ONTO NICARAGUA'S ELECTORAL-CAMPAIGN SCENE.

Article Excerpt
Before suffering a severe blow to its electoral prospects in Nicaragua's coming November elections with the death of its candidate Herty Lewites (see NotiCen, 2006-07-13), the Movimiento de Renovacion Sandinista (MRS) had attracted the support of a women's organization that could change the terms of engagement as the campaigns move forward. In June, the party reached an accord with the Movimiento Autonomo de Mujeres de Nicaragua (MAM). The two organizations agreed on a series of policies of benefit to women. MAM identifies itself as an autonomous political movement that asserts equality, freedom, and solidarity.

The accord reduces to five the demands based on gender equity and the establishment of women's rights. The five are:

1. Establishment of Democratic Institutionality. In the face of the establishment of a pact [between the FSLN and the PLC] that has noticeably deteriorated the institutionality of the country, MAM demands that a profound reform of the state be carried out that allows for creating the bases for constructing a true democracy, where megapensions, megasalaries, and the repartition of powers are eliminated (see NotiCen 2005-01-13), layers of management are reduced, and a law of access to public information is created that would permit citizens to have control of state information.

2. Secular State. MAM demands the establishment of secular public policies that respond to the interests of all the citizenry and that public authorities act in accordance with their jobs not their relationship with the church. Public education must respect the secular character of education. Similarly, state funds should not...

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