Sandinistas Agree to Accept Vote Count in Nicaragua, Carter Says

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that the leftist Sandinista party has formally agreed to accept voting results as tallied by Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council.

The announcement seemed to defuse tension created Monday night when Daniel Ortega, the former president and Sandinista candidate in Sunday’s election, said he could not accept the preliminary results because of alleged irregularities in the vote tallies relayed by telegram to the council.

With two-thirds of the vote counted Tuesday, conservative businessman Arnoldo Aleman maintained a commanding 49% to 40% lead. That lead was not expected to change significantly in the final count, meaning Aleman seems to have secured the 45% vote needed to win the presidency in the first round of voting.

Carter, who headed an international observer mission, told reporters that final results will be delayed several days while officials compare results relayed by telegram to the capital with those signed by poll watchers at thousands of precincts around the country.