The Republic of Nicaragua elects on the national level a head of state—the president—and a unicameral legislature.
The president of Nicaragua and his or her vice-president are elected on one ballot for a five-year term by the people.
The national averages of valid votes for president were: The pro-Sandinista magazine, Envio claimed that this election was considered to have the "most freedom of choice" in the nation's history and was approved by international advocates of free elections.
The United Nicaraguan Opposition coalition of those who opposed the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front was victorious, winning 55% of the vote.
The national averages of valid votes for president were: In presidential elections, Arnoldo Alemán of the Liberal Alliance-Liberal Constitutionalist Party defeated Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista National Liberation Front.
The percentages for National Assembly representatives were very similar to those the parties had received for their presidential candidate.
The seats earned in this second count went to the next candidate on the party's slate in the regions where it had come closest to winning on the first round.
In the nation's capital, Managua, two independent candidates; Pedro Solórzano of the Viva Managua Movement association and Herty Lewites of the Sol (sun) association competed against the AL and FSLN official candidates.
ALN's Roberto Cedeño got the 28% of the votes followed closely by Solórzano with 26%, Carlos Guadamúz from the FSLN with 25.7% and Herty Lewites who became Managua's mayor four years later came in fourth place with 12.3%.
The final results for the elections were: The FSLN won for the first time in ten years the municipality of Managua, Nicaragua's capital city with its candidate Herty Lewites that pulled 44% of the votes.
The FSLN-Convergence won 14 of the 17 departmental capitals, 87 of the 152 municipalities—including 5 of the 6 that make up Managua’s greater metropolitan area—and 25 of Nicaragua’s 42 largest cities.
Of the 87 mayors elected on the FSLN ticket, 17 come from these allies: 5 are independents, 3 are from the Resistance, 3 belong to the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), 2 are Conservatives, 2 are Liberals, 1 is from the Christian Unity Movement (MUC) and 1 is a Social Christian.