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Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega begins new presidential term | |
(about 17 hours later) | |
Daniel Ortega has been sworn in for a controversial third term as Nicaragua's president following his landslide victory in November's polls. | |
The former Sandinista guerrilla leader has promised "no dramatic changes" during his next five years in office. | The former Sandinista guerrilla leader has promised "no dramatic changes" during his next five years in office. |
The main opposition party boycotted the ceremony in Managua, saying the poll was fraudulent and unconstitutional. | |
Mr Ortega's critics also accuse him of seeking to concentrate power in his hands and stay in office indefinitely. | |
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were among the leaders attending the inauguration in the capital. | |
Help for poor | Help for poor |
Mr Ortega, 66, was returned to office during the evening ceremony in Managua's Revolution Square, which was decorated with thousands of flowers. | |
Some 8,000 guests - including the presidents of all the other Central American nations - watched as Mr Ortega read the oath. | |
The former rebel won the election with more than 60% of the vote, while his Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) won a big enough congressional majority to enact constitutional changes. | |
Sandinista congressional leader Edwin Castro has denied that there any plans to reform the constitution. | |
Nicaragua's First Lady and presidential spokeswoman Rosario Murillo earlier said Mr Ortega was "ready" to lead one of the "best governments" in Nicaragua's history. | |
Mr Ortega was allowed to run after the Sandinista-controlled Supreme Court overturned a ban on consecutive terms. | |
Mr Ortega previously ruled Nicaragua for 11 years after leading the Sandinista revolution that overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979. | |
He returned to power in elections in 2006 after three failed attempts. | He returned to power in elections in 2006 after three failed attempts. |
Since then, the economy has grown steadily, although Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in the region. | Since then, the economy has grown steadily, although Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in the region. |
Mr Ortega himself has courted the business sector. | |
He has also introduced social programmes to help the country's poor, with help put at some $500m (£323m) a year from Venezuela. |