U.S. Congressman applauds the Electoral Tribunal for final vote count

By CISPES

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) issued this bilingual statement  congratulating the Salvadoran people on their democratic election, applauding the Supreme Electoral Tribunal for its impartial and transparent management of the elections – especially the final vote count – and expressing his enthusiasm to continue good relations with El Salvador’s next president.

Read his full statement below:

Special Report: ARENA Mobilizes Against TSE

With the FMLN party maintaining what the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has called an “irreversible,” if narrow, lead in the final vote count for El Salvador’s March 9^th presidential election, the opposition ARENA party has turned to destabilization tactics, fomenting unrest and misinformation in an effort to contest the election results. On the night of Monday, March 10^th, ARENA sent out a massive call on social media to mobilize its militancy for a demonstration the following morning against the TSE. Claiming themselves the victims of a massive electoral conspiracy, ARENA called on its militancy to denounce the TSE’s process as corrupt and demand a vote-by-vote recount.

International Observers Attest to Robust and Transparent Democratic Process

Representatives of the CISPES and SHARE observer missions report to the press

On Tuesday, observers from CISPES and the SHARE Foundation held a press conference for the Salvadoran media to share their observations and evaluation of Sunday’s election, in which a record number of Salvadorans participated to elect their next president. Voter turnout was over 60% and, according the preliminary results, the winning candidate, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, received the highest number of votes of any candidate in the country’s history (over 1.4 million).

Elections Analysis

Sister Cities delegation of international elections observers (Photo: Vic Hinterlang)

by U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities

The weeks leading up to the first round of elections here were intense, full of last minute campaigning and fresh waves of fear spurred by the spiking crime and murder rate in the new year. To hear ARENA tell it, the crime wave was just another example of the FMLN and current president Mauricio Fune’s soft stance on crime, and a problem that won’t let up should there be another FMLN victory. Furthermore, they allege, the FMLN has actually been working with the gangs, having the gangs pressure people to vote for them.

Man intimidating women voters in Antiguo Cuscatlan

reported by CISPES

An elderly woman voting at the Centro Escolar Walter Thilo Deininger Voting Center in Antiguo Cuscatlan reported to one of CISPES’ observers that a man wearing a long-sleeved beige shirt was threatening to hit women and generally intimidating women voters inside the center.  Observers identified the man and have been monitoring him.  He continues to be walking around inside the voting center, though no additional incidents have been reported.  The situation has been denounced to the appropriate authorities.

Trangendered voter denied right to vote

reported by CISPES

A voter reported to one of CISPES’ observers that when she arrived at her assigned voting table, poll workers would not allow her to vote.  The voter is a transgendered woman, whose ID card lists her legal name (José Francisco Portillo Argueta) and bears a photo of her without the makeup she usually wears.  She was told that since her appearance didn’t match her appearance in the photo, she could not vote.  This incident occurred this morning in the municipality of San Marcos at the Avenida Mario Zanconato voting center at voting table 1704.

OBSERVER REPORT: Salvadoran family detained and harassed

reported by CISPES international elections observer

The following report concerns an ongoing situation; observers are continuing to gather details.

CISPES observers and members of other international delegations were called to witness a family of 5 Salvadorans from Belize being interrogated and detained by representatives of the Fiscal General de la República (Attorney General’s office) and the Policía Nacional Civil (National Civilian Police) behind the Gimnasio Nacional (National Gymnasium) in downtown San Salvador. The family, which included a young boy who was reportedly very shaken by the experience, had recently arrived in San Salvador to participate in tomorrow’s elections. Tonight the Salvadoran Attorney General’s office demonstrated its priorities as it pursues flimsy charges against voting citizens while former President Francisco Flores, suspected of stealing over $10 million from the state’s coffers, remains missing. Former President Flores was a former client of the Attorney General himself, who is known for his longstanding connection to the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party.

More reports of employers pressuring workers to vote for ARENA

A maquila (textile factory) in El Salvador (Photo: El Diario de Hoy)

On Wednesday, January 29, El Salvador’s Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare opened an investigation against the NEMTEX maquila (textile factory) after receiving reports from workers that factory management was pressuring workers to vote for the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party candidate Norman Quijano. Workers at other maquilas have also reported other incidents of voter coercion.

Reports of former employer trying to coerce fired workers to vote for ARENA

reported by CISPES elections observers

Image: CEAL

The STIT maquila (textile factory) workers union has denounced, via our allies at the Salvadoran Union and Social Front (FSS) and the Center for Labor Study and Support (CEAL), that 1,200 workers were fired without being payed their legally required severance pay. The factory they were fired from, which produced produced products for Hanes, Lacoste, Fruit of the Loom, and Levi’s, closed and its owners have made an illegal agreement with the fired workers that attempts to influence their vote in the upcoming February 2 elections.