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A political power struggle is destabilizing Nicaragua, pitting President Enrique Bolanos against a congressional alliance that includes Bolanos' right-wing Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) and the opposition Marxist Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). The alliance was formed in the first half of 2004 by the leaders of both parties -- former Nicaraguan Presidents Daniel Ortega, of the FSLN, and Arnoldo Aleman, of the PLC.

Ortega and Aleman are seeking to topple Bolanos from power and force early general elections -- and are taking a two-pronged approach to achieve the goal. First, they are implementing congressional measures to systematically strip the president of his executive powers. Second, Sandinista activists are holding sporadic street protests, aiming to provoke deadly clashes with anti-riot police so that charges of repression and human rights abuses can be brought against Bolanos in Congress. This latter tactic is similar to what radical groups have done recently in Ecuador and Bolivia, whose presidents were forced out of power in April and June.

Bolanos responded by saying he would resign and call early elections if the FSLN-PLC alliance agrees that elections will include members of a constitutional assembly mandated to reform the Nicaraguan Constitution. Such a move would threaten Ortega and Aleman's power bases by opening up the political arena to more moderate members of their parties. Thus, the two ex-presidents likely will push for even more street protests and increased congressional pressures to force Bolanos' resignation before his constitutional assembly idea can catch on.