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Wednesday November 7, 2007

Christian Alternative Party: We will not use religion for political purposes

Trinidad Vásquez, MANAGUA, Nicaragua, August 15, 2005

"We will not make the mistake of using religion for political ends," said the president Taxi Heathrow Airport of the Christian Alternative Party (AC) Orlando Tardecilla who Sunday announced that the former mayor of Managua Herty Lewites would be the party's presidential candidate for 2006 elections.

Tardellia, an independent legislator and Evangelical lay person pulled back from other local Evangelical political groups that are vying for power.

Christian Alternative, he said, is not a confessional political organization that seeks power but rather is a group of Catholics and Evangelicals who seek to change the country inspired by Christian principles.

Lewites was acclaimed by close to 2000 participants in a party convention held this weekend. His designation challenges fears that he could eventually be barred from running due to the sale of some land when he was mayor.

Tardencilla ruled out any resolution on the part of the Comptroller General against Lewites. According to the Nuevo Diaro de Managua "the comptrollers would not dare as they would bring to light the excessive ambition of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) and the National Liberation Sandinista Front (FSLN)."

After his nomination, Lewites, a politician expelled from the FSLN last February, told the press that magistrates from the Supreme Electoral Court  would not "dare" to impede his candidacy as a decision of this nature would strip the electoral process of credibility and would earn the repudiation of Nicaraguans and criticism on the part of international bodies.

"My inhibition would be the greatest absurdity because there would no longer be elections next year," said the candidate who added that international bodies who are monitoring the elections have demanded transparency "from now until the end." To the contrary, he said, things would be very difficult for the two parties (PLC and FSLN) that want a monopoly in Nicaragua."