Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAGUA1760
2006-08-14 22:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Managua
Cable title:  

MONTEALEGRE ALLIES CONFIDENT OF VICTORY

Tags:  PGOV KDEM SOCI NU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #1760/01 2262231
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 142231Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7218
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001760 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NU
SUBJECT: MONTEALEGRE ALLIES CONFIDENT OF VICTORY


Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001760

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NU
SUBJECT: MONTEALEGRE ALLIES CONFIDENT OF VICTORY


Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Senior advisor to ALN presidential candidate
Eduardo Montealegre, Edmundo Leal and Conservative Party (PC)
president Azalia Aviles recently expressed confidence that
Montealegre will win the November 5 national election.
Briefly interrupted to defend himself before the National
Assembly on CENIs accusations (septel),Montealegre is on the
campaign trail, which will conclude in the small town of
Sebaco in order to emphasize that the rural areas are
important to the ALN agenda. Leal confirmed that the ALN is
waiting for PLC presidential candidate Jose Rizo to defect,
and the ALN is holding out the first deputy position as a
carrot. Aviles explained the PC's process of growth and
modernization and elaborated on the ALN's geographical
strengths and weaknesses. She noted that she has drawn the
Pellas and Chamorro families back to the PC, although Leal
complained that Carlos Pellas has not given significant funds
to the ALN, as promised. END SUMMARY

HILLS AND VALLEYS ON THE ALN CAMPAIGN TRAIL
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


2. (C) Poloff and pol intern met with senior Montealegre
advisor Edmundo Leal on August 8 to discuss the ALN's
campaign strategy. Wearing jeans and a polo shirt, Leal was
very relaxed as he spoke, bouncing casually from topic to
topic. He discussed the ALN's recent campaign trips to
northern and southern departments. The ALN plans to close
its campaign in the small town of Sebaco (Matagalpa),in
order to send a message that the rural areas are important to
the ALN agenda. Montealegre and others attended a three-hour
long worship service in an effort to secure the evangelical
vote, which tends to be anti-FSLN. Montealegre was forced
to divert his campaign plans on August 7 in order to appear
before the National Assembly, testifying in his own defense
on CENIs corruption charges. Leal expressed minimal concern
about this issue both because he believes that Montealegre is
completely innocent and because the general population is
widely unconcerned with/does not understand the issue.


3. (C) Leal was enthusiastic about the recently released
polls, showing Montealegre only slightly behind the
front-runner, FSLN candidate Daniel Ortega. He believes that
Ortega has reached his peak and will not be able to
legitimately gain any more votes. He believes that Rizo will
decline to 9 percent, from his current 12-15 percent and that
more MRS votes will come to the ALN. He remains concerned
about campaign finance, explaining that a total of USD $12
million is needed for the campaign. Leal declined to reveal
how much money has been raised and only said that they are
still short. Poloff advised him to continue looking into
expatriate Nicaraguans living in the United States for
further donations. Leal commented that the Coen family
recently pledged $1 million for the campaign, while Carlos
Pellas has only given about $100,000, despite an earlier
pledge to fully support Montealegre.


4. (C) The campaign will use weekly publications to focus on
nine issues, including the youth, alternative energy, single
mothers, and education. Leal was very excited about
alternative energy, including ethanol, biodiesel, and
hydroelectric power, noting that during the Somoza years,
Nicaragua exported energy and they are now forced to import.
The same day Leal met with us, the ALN added alternative
energy, specifically ethanol production and use to their
proposed government plan. According to Leal, the FSLN has
legislative control over the Water Law and poorly manages the
production of hydroelectric power, which the ALN is intent on
addressing.

TAKING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ALIANZA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


5. (C) When asked about the health of the alliance between
the various parties within the ALN, Leal seemed relatively
unconcerned. While the members from the Conservative Party
(PC) "put on a red hat and keep on their green shirts" the
alliance is functionally intact. He did express frustration
that all of the members of the alliance want the ALN central
leadership to give them what they need, even t-shirts,
without contributing equally. We advised Leal to give more
credit and face time to the youth members who are working
diligently but sometimes feel ignored. The OAS recently
reported that the ALN fiscales covered the largest number of
centers during the Supreme Electoral Council's June
verification process, a fact which the campaign should
publicize.

POLITICAL GOSSIP/ KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


6. (C) Leal confirmed that, as we get closer to the election
and the PLC numbers continue to (hopefully) decline, PLC
presidential candidate Jose Rizo is welcome to join the ALN
ticket as the first deputy candidate for the National
Assembly. This is the best position they can offer him
because the current VP Candidate has worked very hard and
been a strong asset. Rizo has been made aware of this offer
but has so far declined. Leal was equally clear that the ALN
does not trust PLC VP candidate Jose Antonio Alvarado and
will not welcome him to the party. He was enthused about an
open and amicable meeting with Edmundo Jarquin of the MRS.
Before previous MRS presidential candidate Herty Lewites'
death in early July, the two parties had an agreement to work
together on various issues. Jarquin is aware of this
arrangement and fully intends to honor its terms. Leal
described Jarquin as "too honest" and related that he
admitted that he did not know Nicaragua because he had been
gone and that without Lewites, who secured funding, they face
serious financial difficulties.

AVILES: ALN IS ON TRACK
- - - - - - - - - - - -


7. (C) During an August 9 meeting with Ambassador and poloff,
Conservative Party president Azalia Aviles seconded Leal's
comments that ALN members are working more effectively. She
stated that the PC has undertaken a "process of
modernization" since 2002, with the help of IRI, El
Salvador's ARENA party, and the Conservative Party of Norway.
Aviles noted that the PC has registered 3,500 new members in
the last two months and estimated that the party could garner
14 percent of the vote nationwide, independent of the ALN
(though she admitted that many of these voters are simply
tired of the Liberals and Sandinistas rather than committed
to the Conservative ideology per se). She also commented
that she has brought the Pellas and Chamorro families back
into the Conservative fold.


8. (C) Aviles gave an assessment of the ALN's strength,
claiming that the Alliance is strong in Rivas, Granada, and
Chinandega departments, and that Montealegre has achieved
much greater penetration in rural areas. She conceded that
the PLC is the principal force in Matagalpa (the second
largest department),and the ALN must "work harder" to wrest
more votes from the Sandinistas in Managua.


9. (C) Aviles agreed with the Ambassador that PLC leader
Arnoldo Aleman is defeating Rizo in the struggle for control
over that party. She commented that PLC vice presidential
candidate Jose Antonio Alvarado is using the CENIs case to
bash Montealegre on the campaign trail and weaken the ALN
candidate before initiating negotiations to unite the Liberal
campaigns. She noted, however, that this strategy could
backfire on the PLC since the case is so obviously
politically motivated. Aviles has also heard reports that
Alvarado is privately criticizing Rizo and campaign manager
Enrique Quinonez for running a lackluster campaign and
"failing to attract people" to the PLC.

COMMENT
- - - -


10. (C) With the help of consultants (septel) and constant
urging from emboffs, the ALN seems to be building a more
effective and united organization. The Alliance must
establish itself as the dominant Liberal force in order to
convince PLC members to break with Aleman and unite with the
ALN to defeat the Sandinistas.
TRIVELLI