Nicaragua's Legislative President René Núñez yesterday initiated the 24th session of the National Assembly by calling on all lawmakers to work together to overcome the political crisis that paralyzed the legislature late last year.

Núñez, a dyed-in-the-wool Sandinista, stressed the importance of dialogue to overcome the political tensions that have so far prevented the National Assembly from approving the 2008 budget.

Núñez also called for “harmony” between the legislative and executive branches, following accusations by opposition lawmakers that President Daniel Ortega is trying to usurp the powers of the National Assembly.

The Sandinista lawmaker said that he doesn't agree “100%” with legislators who claim Ortega is trying to marginalize the National Assembly, but acknowledged that there were “elements of concern” that legitimized lawmakers' complaints.

Núñez stressed that the National Assembly must “fight” within the context of the law and the Constitution to defend its institutional sovereignty.

“We are willing to fight to defend the institution,” he said. He added, however, that lawmakers should defer to the Supreme Court for the final word on the crisis between the legislature and the executive branch.

The conflict, which percolated for much of last year, reached a boiling point when the National Assembly voted to sever government ties to Ortega's Councils of Citizen Power (CPC) – a ruling the president has ignored.

Ortega today is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Nation address to the National Assembly, although the majority of opposition lawmakers, who have banned together into the “bloc against the dictatorship,” have said they will boycott the speech, raising doubts about whether it will really happen