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In response to the following article online in the Economist ( http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12607338 ) one person claiming to be a neutral observer made the following comments:

http://www.economist.com/members/persona.cfm?econUId=3124889 the text of which most relevant being the following:

...I participated in the "Citizens' Crusade Watch", a political organization in charge of defending the public's vote during these past elections. As was the case with many other organizations, we were not allowed in the voting stations. Our job was reduced to aiding the citizens making the long lines outside the stations.

I can tell you first hand that w/o any manipulations the results would have probably been around 68% to 32% in favor of Montealegre and the PLC party. (probably the case nationwide as well)

However, prior to the day of the election, the margin may have been reduced closer to 60-40 through utlizing mis-information tactics and the false registering of Sandinista supportes / refusing to register any one else they perceived to be opposition. All this facilitated by the Nicaraguan Electoral Coucil, controlled by the Sandinista party (CSE as its known in its locally).

The day of the elections, Sandinistas were instructed by their party to "vote early", as it was later found that the CSE carried out a plan to close voting stations prematurely. Some voting stations closed as early as noon in some remote areas of the country. Just about all voting was stopped by 3pm nationawide (the law stipulated 6 pm) Furthermore, we witnessed first hand how citizens were being sent from their respective traditional voting centers to other voting centers across town where they were NOT scheduled / able to vote. General mis-information by local CSE officials at any given voting station was the order of the day.

This orchestrated and deliberate manouver, coupled Coutry-wide intimidation rallies carried out by Sandinista supporters (stones and machetes in hand) further reduced voter turn out and thus the outcome margin.

However, at around 8 pm as the Nation-wide results were being transmitted into the National Stadium, (CSE headquarters for the day) the math still did not favor the Sandinistas. The Saninidta CSE was forced to immediatelly adopt plan "D" (Desperation), and swiftly, without explanation expelled all PLC observers from the National Stadium for hours, (The Elecotal Police is in control of the Sandinistas as well) and quickly proceeded to burn the actual phisical VOTES, and began forging the previously signed and sealed "final tally" sheets given out to EVERY participating party at the time of closure of each and EVERY voting station.

The problem for the CSE-Sandinistas is, at that very time they were forging their documents, we had already been given roughly 60% of the "final tally" copies the PLC collected at ecery voting station in the city of Managua. We've sicen been given 98% of the PLC copies for verification. Needless to say, there is a discrancy with what the only evidence we have says (PLC finall tally sheets) and the mere digits the CSE puts up for us poor saps to see.

The PLC / Eduardo Montealegre copies of the "final tally" sheet are up on thew web at www.voto2008.org for the world to see.

The CSE refuses to show theirs. They also refuse an official recount in the presence of the Church, The Carter Center, and Local and impartial observers.

That is how you steal an election. Bluntly.

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