MEXICO CITY (AP) — 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. It said the latest constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua’s “peace, security and stability.”

The legislature was following through on Ortega’s announcement from the weekend that “there won’t be any more elections,” reflecting both his effort to extend his nearly 20-year rule and remove any chance of the opposition gaining power.