53 associations participated in the municipal elections. One of them (the Civic Association of Potosí) won the mayor's post. Despite winning only one municipality, an important number of association candidates finished in second or third place. 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 1996 municipal election took place together with the Presidential election on October 20. Municipal Councils were elected in 145 municipalities nationwide. The final results for the elections were: Liberal Alliance (AL) - 92 municipalities controlled Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) - 51 municipalities controlled Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) - 1 municipality controlled Civic Association of Potosí (ACP) - 1 municipality controlled Source: 2000 In the 2000 municipal election 1,532,816 voters elected Municipal Councils in 151 municipalities nationwide. It was the first time that the Presidential and Municipal elections were held separately. The final results for the elections were: Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) - 94 municipalities controlled Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) - 52 municipalities controlled Conservative Party (PC) - 5 municipalities controlled 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. Source: 2004 In the 2004 municipal election 1,664,243 voters elected Municipal Councils in 152 municipalities nationwide, with nearly a 56% abstention. The final results for the elections were: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN-Convergence) - 87 municipalities controlled Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) - 57 municipalities controlled Alliance for the Republic (APRE) - 4 municipalities controlled Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka (YATAMA) - 3 municipalities controlled Nicaraguan Resistance Party (PRN) - 1 municipality controlled Note: Elections took place for the first time in the newly created municipality of San José de Bocay in the Jinotega department. The 2004 municipal elections represented a huge Sandinista victory. 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. In total it will govern a little