Violence After Nicaragua Poll

Nicaragua was braced for fresh clashes last night after disputed election results triggered a week of violence. Supporters of the Sandinista government patrolled the capital, Managua, with rocks and clubs to deter opposition groups from mobilizing.

The opposition accuses Nicaragua's president, Daniel Ortega, of rigging local elections on November 9 in favor of Sandinista candidates and reviving authoritarianism in the impoverished nation.

Armed Sandinista supporters snuffed out opposition protests earlier this week, leaving dozens injured. For much of the trouble police were absent. A tense calm descended on the capital when the opposition withdrew. They will now challenge the results in the national assembly, setting the scene for weeks of wrangling.

A spokesman for Ortega, who has not appeared in public during the crisis, said opponents refused to recognize a legitimate government victory and were trying to destabilize its pro-poor program.

Preliminary results show the Sandinistas winning 106 of 146 municipalities.