Officials in Nicaragua say that President Daniel Ortega was elected on Sunday to serve a third consecutive term.
With 20 percent of ballots counted, Ortega has more than 71 percent of the votes, according to Roberto Rivas, president of the Supreme Electoral Council. Ortega, a member of the leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front, ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, after the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza crumbled, and was elected again in 2007. Opposition leaders say the election was a farce, with weak opponents for Ortega to run against, and assert that he wants to start a political dynasty — his running mate is his wife, Rosario Murillo.
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