ADDITIONAL ALN PROPOSALS ON ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002433 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KDEM SOCI NU SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL ALN PROPOSALS ON ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND SECURITY REF: MANAGUA 2329 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The ALN's final policy proposals concerning the environment, social justice, and security build on the earlier plans regarding employment and energy efficiency (reftel). ALN presidential candidate Eduardo Montealegre presented his complete plan of government during an October 27 press conference. Montealegre publicly invited FSLN candidate Daniel Ortega to a policy debate at the same time, but Ortega did not respond. The proposals are primarily directed towards middle and working class households, women, and youth -- groups Montealegre must win over to succeed on November 5. End Summary. Environmental Protection - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (U) On the subject of environmental protection, the ALN promises to increase the land area in the national parks and reserves system and promote reforestation. The ALN would also continue to clean and protect Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua, as well as explore ways to reduce environmental pollution from industry and transportation. The party would encourage and assist people living in protected areas to convert from farming and ranching to ecotourism as a source of income. Social Justice and Development of Opportunities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (U) The ALN lumped several proposals under its "social justice" initiative in the areas of education, culture, health, water and sanitation, and housing. To improve education, the ALN would promote better qualifications for teachers, provide periodic training, and pay higher salaries. The party also promises to reorient education around "practical" and technical training and support sports camps. To help poor children, the ALN pledges to provide free lunches and subsidized transportation. The party would also support adult literacy programs. ¶4. (U) To promote cultural advancement, the ALN promises to support artistic projects and exhibitions, as well as preserve historical works and cultural traditions. ¶5. (U) To improve Nicaragua's medical infrastructure, the ALN would remodel major hospitals and construct additional health clinics in under-served communities, while guaranteeing a basic level of health care for everyone. The party promises to promote prevention programs to reduce the need for emergency medical services and improve overall health. ¶6. (U) The ALN promises to rehabilitate water distribution infrastructure and expand access to potable water. ¶7. (U) To relieve Nicaragua's housing shortage, the ALN would explore ways to house all families in the country by, in part, expanding access to financing for individuals and businesses seeking to construct residential housing for middle and lower class residents. Citizen Security - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (U) The ALN proposal to improve citizen security focuses on the need to establish an emergency call line and integrate all emergency responders into a national network. The ALN would modernize the police and fire services by providing better training and equipment and higher salaries. The party promises to improve border security, especially regarding drug trafficking on the coasts. The ALN would also promote after school activities to prevent young people from joining gangs and establish a program to reintegrate gang members into society. Comment - - - - ¶9. (SBU) The additional proposals build on a plan of government already strongly oriented to middle and working class citizens, which also incorporates the business community into social programs, usually by offering tax and financial incentives. The ALN's new plans also reach out to important constituencies that Montealegre has previously pledged to support, such as teachers and police. The ALN plan of government is coherent, though the party frequently does not explain in detail how a Montealegre administration would pay for and execute many of the proposals. Further, the ALN did not release the final plan until October 27, little more than a week prior to the elections. TRIVELLI