Nicaragua’s lawmakers said they will carry out a plan by President Daniel Ortega to abolish elections in the Central American country, prompting renewed criticisms Wednesday by the international community. The move was announced in a statement Tuesday by Nicaragua’s congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife and co-President Rosario Murillo. This follows Ortega’s announcement from the weekend that “there won’t be any more elections”—as well as a broader pattern of actions by the government under Ortega cracking down on dissent since the violent suppression of protests in 2018.

The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent in the country. Authorities have jailed opposition politicians, religious leaders and others, and also shut down thousands of civil society organizations in the country.

Full report: Nicaragua’s parliament moves to abolish elections under Ortega’s order, fueling criticisms.