PLC WRESTS PLUM COMMISSIONS FROM FSLN IN NATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 000224 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN PANAMA FOR JENNIFER BUCALO E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM NU SUBJECT: PLC WRESTS PLUM COMMISSIONS FROM FSLN IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REF: MANAGUA 0085 Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (U) Weeks after the official date of the Nicaraguan National Assembly's annual re-incorporation of its Junta Directiva and commissions, the deputies finally appointed the new heads of the commissions. The PLC allied with the minority caucuses (bancadas) to wrest control of two important commissions from the Sandinistas: Economics and Tourism. The results left the PLC with 11 commissions, the FSLN with 9, the Azul y Blanco bancada will head two, and Camino Cristiano and ALN-PC received one each. Although each bancada was granted leadership of at least one commission, the outcome of the allocation was widely interpreted as a PLC/Azul y Blanco rebuke to the ALN-PC for resisting a Liberal compromise slate for the Junta Directiva that did not include an ALN-PC president (reftel). ¶2. (U) A list of appointments by party follows: PLC: 10 permanent and 1 special commissions Economics Wilfredo Navarro Transport Oscar Moncada Education Orlando Mayorga Justice Noel Pereira Municipalities Jose Castillo Osejo Human Rights Maximino Rodriguez Health Guillermo Montenegro Tourism Miriam Fonseca Ethics Donald Lacayo Indigenous Affairs Leonel Panting Special Commission Carlos Noguera for CAFTA FSLN: 8 permanent and 1 special commissions Counter-narcotics Ma. Lidia Mejia Inter Parliamentary Nathan Sevilla Labor Alba Palacios Central American Integration Rita Fletes Women Albertina Urbina Zelaya Pop. and Development Emilia Torres Agricultural Reform Marcelino Garcia Special Commission on Poverty Reduction Unassigned Azul y Blanco: 2 permanent commissions Foreign Affairs Miguel Lopez Baldizon Environment Jaime Morales Carazo CCN: 1 permanent commission Defense & Government Delia Arellano ALN-PC: 1 special commission Inter Institutional Augusto Valle Affairs ¶3. (C) COMMENT: On the surface, this slate, like the Junta Directiva, appears to be a significant improvement over 2005. Most of the PLC appointees, with a few exceptions such as Donald Lacayo, are moderate and committed to working with the USG. On the other hand, the new chief and deputy chief of the PLC bancada, Lilliam Tabora and Carlos Gadea, are ardent Arnoldistas. Alba Palacios, a Sandinista agitator, has retained her position as president of the Labor commission, which could exacerbate problems for the Bolanos administration if the FSLN continues to use its control of the labor guilds to pressure the government in an election year. Delia Arellano headed the Defense and Government commission in 2004 and was very helpful in securing National Assembly cooperation for MANPADS destructions in that year. She has committed to playing the same role in 2006. Emboffs will meet with the new Assembly leadership to discuss and promote legislative agenda items of concern to the USG. TRIVELLI