Central America peace process progresses.

The Central American peace process progressed in February and March with the successful conclusion of UN-supervised elections in Nicaragua and steps to demobilize the Nicaraguan resistance in that country with assistance from an expanded mandate for the UN Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA).

More than 1.5 million Nicaraguans went to the polls on Sunday, 25 February, in the first UN-monitored elections in an independent country.

Voting took place without intimidation or violence" and was evaluated as "free and fair" by ONUVEN-the UN Observer Mission to verify the electoral process in Nicaragua-said Secretary-General javier Perez de Cuellar. ONUVEN "not only observed but actively facilitated an orderly, free and fair election in Nicaragua".

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro was elected President, with 54.7 per cent of total ballots cast. Both she and outgoing President Daniel Ortega Saavedra requested a UN presence in Nicaragua until the 25 April inauguration, to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition process. Mrs. Chamorro headed the National Opposition Union coalition slate. Mr. Ortega Saavedra was the candidate of the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN), in power since 1979.

Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar announced on 1 March that a transition team of 12 UN officers headed by ONUVEN chief S. lqbal Riza would remain in Nicaragua's capital city, Managua, until the end of April.

After his Personal Representative for the Electoral Process in Nicaragua, Elliot Richardson, reported the morning after the elections a "smooth unfolding of the process", Mr. Perez de Cuellar said that both he and the world Organization were "very pleased", in particular at having played a role in this effort.

Yesterday Nicaragua took a major step toward national reconciliation and hence Central America as a whole took a great stride towards peace and democratization", he stated.

He added: "While the immediate victory is for the candidates who have won the elections, the Government of Nicaragua deserves warm commendations for having convened these elections ahead of schedule, having submitted to the test of the people's will, and accepting the verdict of the ballot box."

At a 13 March press conference in New York, Mr. Richardson said that prospects of disbanding the contras before the formal transfer of power in Nicaragua were good, because both the outgoing and incoming administrations and the United States would support such a move.

Mr. Richardson, who was in Nicaragua from 20 to 28 February, had reviewed voting arrangements and ONUVEN's work in all regions of the country. He had also made official results in October 1989 and january 1990. In a fourth report issued on 22 February, a few days before the elections A/44/921), ONUVEN had judged that the electoral process had been, on the whole, sufficiently fair and that the Nicaraguan people were "in a position to decide between alternatives which have been given a reasonable chance to be aired". The Mission issued on 30 March its fifth and final report A/44/927) which detailed voting control and procedures, including how balloting was monitored by the 207 observers who travelled throughout Nicaragua using 128 vehicles, two helicopters and four small boats. These monitors were backed by a team of 34 stationed at ONUVEN headquarters in Managua.

On election day, observers visited 2,155 voting stations in 141 of 143 Nicaraguan municipalities. The Mission was already independently tabulating presidential voting results as Mrs. Chamorro's victory was recognized both by the Supreme Electoral Council and President Ortega. In light of this, ONLTVEN reported that it had suspended its count.

Its 27-page report also includes data on the conduct of the voting, statistical tables and the text of a protocol on the procedure for the transfer of power agreed upon by the outgoing and incoming administrations on 27 March.

"It is ONUVEN's assessment that the elections were conducted in a highly commendable manner, and no problems have been detected which might cast doubts on their fairness. The best evidence of this is obviously the victory of the opposition, which entertained doubts about the validity of the electoral process", the report concluded. ONUCA mandate widened

The Security Council on 27 March widened the mandate of ONUCA so that it could "play a part in the voluntary demobilization of the members of the Nicaraguan resistance". It also approved the addition of an 800-strong infantry battalion from Venezuela. Both actions were taken in adopting resolution 650 (1990) unanimously.

Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar, in a 15 March report SI21194), stated that the additional troops would not actually be deployed until the necessary political conditions were fulfilled, "namely an agreement by all concerned for the voluntary demobilization of the members of the Nicaraguan resistance".

The Toncontin Agreement" establishing a cease-fire and demobilization arrangements-was reached a week later, on 23 March, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, between President-elect Chamorro's incoming administration and the Nicaraguan resistance, with the participation of Nicaragua's Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo.

The agreement A/44/931-S/21206) commits the resistance to begin to demobilize all its forces still remaining in Honduras by 20 April at the latest, and to concentrate its armed forces currently in Nicaragua in security zones supervised by ONUCA and the International Support and Verification Commission (CIAV), the joint United Nations/Organization of American States (OAS) group in charge of implementing civilian aspects of the 1987 Guatemala agreement, setting out procedures for the peace process. ONUCA role Mr. Perez de Cuellar requested ONUCA:s expansion after intensive consultations with President Ortega's Government and President-elect Chamorro's party. It was agreed that ONUCA would be responsible, among other things, "for taking delivery of weapons, matiriel and military equipment, including military uniforms, of the members of the Nicaraguan resistance", the Secretary-General informed the Council. ONUCA would also establish and ensure the security of temporary assembly points for Nicaraguan resistance members-both in Nicaragua itself and at certain locations in Costa Rica close to that country's border with Nicaragua. The Observer Group was originally mandated to verify, on the spot, compliance with security arrangements contained in the 1987 Guatemala agreement,.which called for "cessation of aid to irregular forces and insurrectionist movements operating in the region and the non-use of the territory of one State for attacking others". Mr. Perez de Cuellar also told the Council that he was taking urgent steps to have 119 additional military observers join ONUCA, bringing the total to 260-the full strength originally envisaged for the Group. Turning the page Following the vote, james Wilkinson of the United States said that there should be no doubt in anyone's mind about his country's position on the question of the contras: "We want and encourage them to demobilize freely and return to their land to contribute to its development."

A page of history was turning in Central America, he said. His country supported both the Central American peace plan and the Secretary-General's continuous efforts to assist in its implementation. The only other speaker, Cuba's Permanent Representative Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, said that he hoped that the resolution just adopted and the UN activity in Nicaragua would bring to an end, once and for all", activities that had "cost the people of Nicaragua so much in terms of human life and material damage". But it would be ironic if the financial burden of monitoring the end "of an operation that should never have taken place" should now fall on the international community, particularly in view of the more than $321 million external financing received by the Nicaraguan resistance, he added.

On 29 March, a UN spokesman announced in New York that UN representatives led by ONUCA Commander, Major-General Agustin Quesada Gomez, were in Nicaragua to work out the details of the demobilization operation.

Mr. Perez de Cuellar was aware of reports that some resistance leaders had agreed that their forces would go to assembly points inside Nicaragua, but were not willing to immediately disarm themselves. Nicaraguan complaint

to Security Council

On 3 january, Nicaragua complained to the Security Council that on 29 December 1989 United States military forces had searched the residence of the Ambassador of Nicaragua in Panama.

A draft resolution SI21084) declaring the event "a violation of the privileges and immunities recognized under international law" was not adopted by the Council on 17 january due to a veto by the United States, one of the Council's five permanent members.