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| Nicaragua: Ortega names his wife as running mate | Nicaragua: Ortega names his wife as running mate |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has named his wife as his running mate and candidate for vice-president as he seeks re-election for a third term. | Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has named his wife as his running mate and candidate for vice-president as he seeks re-election for a third term. |
| First Lady Rosario Murillo already has a prominent role as the chief government spokeswoman and is widely seen as sharing power with her husband. | First Lady Rosario Murillo already has a prominent role as the chief government spokeswoman and is widely seen as sharing power with her husband. |
| She appears on Nicaraguan television almost every day. | She appears on Nicaraguan television almost every day. |
| Critics accuse the first couple of running Nicaragua - which has elections in November - like a personal fiefdom. | Critics accuse the first couple of running Nicaragua - which has elections in November - like a personal fiefdom. |
| While President Ortega rarely speaks to the media, his wife is regularly seen on TV discussing policy and promoting her own brand of New Age spirituality. | While President Ortega rarely speaks to the media, his wife is regularly seen on TV discussing policy and promoting her own brand of New Age spirituality. |
| Mother of the president's seven children, she is fluent in English and French in addition to being a renowned poet. | Mother of the president's seven children, she is fluent in English and French in addition to being a renowned poet. |
| She also has a reputation for wearing colourfully extravagant outfits and jewellery more commonly seen in the hippy 1960s. | She also has a reputation for wearing colourfully extravagant outfits and jewellery more commonly seen in the hippy 1960s. |
| Correspondents say many Nicaraguans see Ms Murillo as wielding the most power in her country because of her higher public profile. | Correspondents say many Nicaraguans see Ms Murillo as wielding the most power in her country because of her higher public profile. |
| Husband and wife officially submitted their candidacy papers in the capital Managua, accompanied by the legal adviser of their Sandinista party. | Husband and wife officially submitted their candidacy papers in the capital Managua, accompanied by the legal adviser of their Sandinista party. |
| Hundreds of Sandinista supporters cheered the couple when they left the building. | Hundreds of Sandinista supporters cheered the couple when they left the building. |
| But opposition supporters are concerned her promotion may herald the rise of a new family dynasty in the impoverished Central American nation. | But opposition supporters are concerned her promotion may herald the rise of a new family dynasty in the impoverished Central American nation. |
| Mr Ortega, 70, is a former left-wing guerrilla who formed part of the government junta following the Sandinista revolution against the dictatorship of the Somoza family, which ruled Nicaragua for four decades. | |
| The Cuban-inspired Sandinistas seized power in 1979. | The Cuban-inspired Sandinistas seized power in 1979. |
| The party lost elections in the 1990s, but Mr Ortega returned to power in January 2007, after a successful election campaign. | The party lost elections in the 1990s, but Mr Ortega returned to power in January 2007, after a successful election campaign. |