Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vlnvax!schneider From: schneider@vlnvax.DEC Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Reagan propaganda Message-ID: <229@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 12-Dec-84 17:37:12 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.229 Posted: Wed Dec 12 17:37:12 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 00:11:08 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 35 Associated Press (reprinted without permission) WASHINGTON - A private panel said yesterday that last month's presidential election in Nicaragua, although flawed, was an essentially honest process that featured political give-and-take, meaningful choices for the electorate and an apparently accurate vote count. The conclusions of the five-member commission differ sharply from those of the Reagan Administration, which has described the Nov. 4 balloting as an "electoral farce without any meaningful political opposition." The ticket of the ruling Sandinista party, headed by President- elect Daniel Ortega, won 62.8 percent of the vote against six other parties. The turnout was reported to be 75 percent. The panel issssued a 60-page report that assailed the United States' role in the process. It said the Reagan Administration "consistently sought to undermine and discredit the elections by critisizing the fairness of the process, by encouraging the abstentions of various parties and by lobbying other governments to critisize the process." The day after the election, the State Department said the United States "consistently supported the opposition efforts to participate in a meaningful election process." It accused the Sandinistas of manipulating "every aspect of the electoral process" in an attempt to project widespread popular support. ************** I expect the right-wing readers who swallow everything Ronnie says hook, line and sinker to start bitching about the "liberal" panel Associated Press, etc. I say let 'em bitch. Daniel Schneider DEC, Marlboro, MA {decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-vlnvax!schneider