The Election Observation Project

OBJECTIVE:

To contribute to strengthening transparency in the election process in El Salvador and to have an impact on an informed debate on electoral reforms.

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If you have questions or coments you can write us at:

English Email:

electionmission@ cis-elsalvador.org

Spanish Email:

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The Electoral Process Marches On

TSE without agreement on educational campaign for the voter

 With just 47 to go until the realisation of a new electoral process in El Salvador, the TSE has still been unable to agree on awarding the $4 million contract to the publicity company that won the bid, and so initiate its educational campaign to the voter. The President of the TSE made an urgent call to two of his co-magistrates to support the process of hiring a publicity company to begin the campaign that will orientate the population on how to vote.

ARENA instructs on how to vote for deputies

ARENA is realising its own educational campaign among the electorate about the new voting mechanisms for voting for deputies, in reaction to the delay on the part of the TSE in initiating this important phase of the 2012 electoral process. According to the director of information of the party, Ernesto Muyshondt, the house to house visits that the party is making as part of its electoral strategy are being used to orientate the voters about the various options of voting for future deputies.

CD asks the TSE for diligence

El Cambio Democratico party (CD) described as ‘painful’ the delay that the TSE has taken in launching the campaign to the voters on how to vote for mayors and deputies in the next elections.

The Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad signs letter of agreement with the TSE

The CIS has promised to support the process of Civic Education for the voting population in the areas of where and how to vote. The organisation has initiated, in coordination with the TSE, the training of its volunteers (community leaders) who will support this process in the municipalities in which the work of the CIS has an impact. 

ACRONYMS

TSE– Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Tribunal)

CE– Código Electoral (Electoral Code)

CSJ– Corte Suprema de Justicia.  (Supreme Court of Justice)

JED– Junta Electoral Departamental (Departmental Election Board)

JEM– Junta Electoral Municipal (Municipal Election Board)

JRV– Junta Receptora de Votos. (Vote Receiving Table)

Legally Enrolled Parties

PE. Partido de la Esperanza, (Hope Party, previously PDC)

PP-Partido Popular (Popular Party)

CN– Concertación Nacional (National Consensus, previously PCN)

FMLN– Frente Farabundo Martí  par la Liberación Nacional (Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front)

ARENA– Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (National Republican Alliance)

GANA– Gran Alianza por la Unidad Nacional (Grand Alliance for the National Unity)

CN– Concertación Nacional (National Consensus, previously PCN)

CD-  Cambio Democrático (Democratic Change)

PNL– Partido Nacional Liberal (National Liberal Party)

FPS– Fraternidad  Patriótica Salvadoreña (Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity)

PE. Partido de la Esperanza, (Hope Party, previously PDC)

The Parties

FMLN does not have the votes to resolve the impasse in the TSE                

The FMLN bench was unable to convince the rest of the legislative factions to unblock the impasse between magistrates of the TSE that has prevented them contracting a publicity company to educate the voters about the new system of voting.

The provision presented by the FMLN proposes that this will be able to be approved with three and not four votes from the magistrates, in view of the fact that only Eugenio Chicas, Eduardo Urquilla, and Gilberto Canjura gave their votes for contracting the publicity company.

The commissions of Electoral Affairs and Finance met in the plenary session this week to try to search for an agreement, but decided to discuss the issue next week.                                               

Independent candidates resist the electoral struggle                    

While they have been unable to launch their electoral campaigns the independent candidates, aspiring to deputy positions in the next legislative period, say that they have managed to withstand the many obstacles put in front of them.

The deadline for the inscription of candidates before the TSE closed on Friday 20^th January. During the process there were initially 19 independents interested in a candidature, however in the end only five of these managed to register themselves.           

President Funes urges the voters not to vote for ARENA                   

The President of the Republic, Mauricio Funes, railed against ARENA and urged people to very carefully assess the electoral promises of the party. “It’s important that when you go to elect your new representatives think about how they behaved, those that now come to offer you heaven and earth; but have already had their opportunity, they have had twenty years of governance,” said Funes.

Funes said that the population must take a look at the recent past when candidates offer them the promise of resolving the problems of public security, health, and education, among other areas. “And haven’t they already had twenty years, then? And we have inherited this country, with all the problems that we now have,” he said, before adding that the party that ‘governed for twenty years’ is asking for the elimination of the school uniform, shoes, and supplies programme.