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Politics and government
The republic of Nicaragua was established when it gained independence from Spain in 1821.
The country is ruled by one national government and one parallel government that administrates the two autonomous regions on the Atlantic coast. The leaders for this government are also elected separately.
The government is divided into four branches. The president and vice president form the executive branch. The Supreme Court is the judicial branch and in charge of the judicial system. It consists of a chamber of 90 deputies representing Nicaragua's geographical regions and elected from a list provided by the major political parties. Ex-presidents and defeated presidential candidates that gain a certain amount of votes are also guaranteed a seat.
Elections are held with five years intervals and are organized by the Supreme Electoral Council that consists of seven magistrates, chosen by the National Assembly for five years.
The present constitution was written in 1987 and states the freedom of speech, religion, movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration, repatriation and the right to assemble and associate. Additionally, it prohibits any kind of discrimination.
Until 1979 only two political parties existed, the Liberals and the Conservatives. 20 parties participated in the election of 1990 and by 1996 the number had increased to 35. A new law that excludes smaller countries was written in 2000 and by the last election in 2001 only three parties were represented.
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