Managua, Nicaragua - Nicaragua's capital was bracing for large demonstrations Tuesday by the ruling Sandinista party and the opposition after supporters of President Daniel Ortega blocked an important highway through Managua, forcing opposition leaders to seek refuge in a church.

The supporters of the Sandinista National Liberation Front cut off the Pan-American Highway and important streets in the capital Monday to block the movements of Eduardo Montealegre, who ran for mayor of Managua in November 9 elections and is now charging electoral fraud.

The member of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party and other opposition leaders then had to hole up in the church.

The Sandinista-dominated Election Commission said the ruling party won about 100 of the 146 mayoral posts up for grabs last week, but Montealegre, who according to official results lost to boxing champion Alexis Arguello, said he intends to present data to diplomats to back up his charges of electoral fraud.

Post-election violence has shaken the impoverished Central American country for a week. Two people have been killed. (dpa)