Source: Transparencia Activa (http://www.transparenciaactiva.gob.sv) [Informal translation]
by Presidential Communications Secretary, February 7, 2014
Mauricio Funes, President of the Republic, revealed that a total of 24 companies have been charged before the Labor Ministry for coercing their workers to vote for a particular political party in the second round of elections, which is a felony punishable with jail time.
Source: Transparencia Activa
During a press conference, the head of state said that although the companies had been identified, he will not give details about the indicted employers, in order to avoid disturbing them before the information has been verified.
“There are companies whose owners, managers and executives are saying to their employees: don’t vote for this party, because if you do then you will lose your job, so vote for the other party,” said the head of state.
He warned that this practice of “influencing the vote” is against the law, as it coerces the citizen’s freedom to decide for whom to vote.
The government urges workers who have been coerced to vote for any political party to report the illegal incident by calling the number 2529-3890 or by emailing the address anticorrupción@mtps.gob.sv, with the assurance that your information will be treated with strict confidentiality.
To the contrary, the head of state expressed that employees and officials in the various branches of the Executive have not been coerced to vote for one party or the other.
“In the Presidential House, I have not told anyone to vote for this or that party. I have not told my secretary, aides, cabinet members, nor heads of autonomous institutions to vote for one or the other party,” asserted the president.
Read earlier reporting on workers denouncing employer pressure to vote for ARENA leading into the Feb 2 elections here
EL SALVADOR 2014 ELECTIONS BLOG 