Chamber:
	Congreso nacional
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	26 November 1989
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members’ term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The 1989 congressional elections were held simultaneously with polling for President and Vice-Presidents of the Republic, and for 289 municipal councillors. Main contestants for the presidency were Mr. Rafael Leonardo Callejas of the opposition National Party (PN) and Mr. Carlos Flores Facussé of the ruling Liberal Party (PL). The election campaign was marked by sporadic violence. Mr. Callejas – the loser in the controversial 1985 poll – propounded generally conservative economic views, advocating reduced public-sector spending and a streamlining of the bureaucracy in the face of the country’s mounting problems (foreign debt, unemployment, inflation). On foreign affairs, he favoured developing political and economic ties with European countries as alternatives to the country’s traditional dependency on the USA. Both candidates backed the voluntary repatriation of Nicaraguan "contra" rebels from Honduran territory. Mr. Callejas and the right-wing PN triumphed on polling day, the latter raising its congressional total to become the single largest party with 71 seats. The new President took office on 27 January 1990 for a four-year term in succession to Mr. José Azcona Hoyo (PL), who had been ineligible to run. The new Cabinet was sworn in the same day.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (26 November 1989): Elections results
Number of registered electors	2,400,000 (approx.)
Voters	1,799,146

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	%
National Party (PN)	50.98
Liberal Party (PL)	43.19
Innovation and Unity Party (PINU)	1.89
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	1.41

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
National Party (PN)	71
Liberal Party (PL)	55
Innovation and Unity Party (PINU)	2
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	0