El Salvador

Latin America

Election Campaign in El Salvador

By Carlos Quintanilla

Opposition party Farabundo Mart¡ National Liberation Front (FMLN), maintains its lead in El Salvador polls since general elections for 2009 were announced a few weeks ago.

According to LPG Datos survey, FMLN boasts 31.1 percent of the projected vote, while the governing party Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) has 24.8 percent. The remaining parties have only 2.6 percent.

Only three of the country's six political forces have appointed their presidential hopefuls so far: Mauricio Funes (FMLN); Rodrigo Avila (ARENA) and Protestant Minister Jos‚ Tom s Chevez, from the right-wing National Counciliation Party (PCN).

Salvadoreans will go to the polls January 18 to choose their congressmen and mayors. On March 15 they are scheduled to elect the nation's president and vice president. In addition to the six parties registered to vie for the presidency of the Republic, The Supreme Electoral Court lists 262 mayoralties, 84 national councils and twenty seats in the Central American Parliament (PARLACENT).

Since mid-September there have been riots in several cities associated with the forthcoming elections. FMLN denounced a group of activists from ARENA for the violence, claiming they attacked supporters of the left-wing party, seriously wounding some.

The FMLN Campaign Command condemned physical and verbal aggression by ARENA's party members in San Salvador, El Salvador's capital, as well as in other cities and small towns. The FMLN issued a plea for the avoidance of violence in the electoral campaign, but the government party rejected the invitation, issued to all political parties, to sign an agreement to that effect.

"We want a peaceful campaign, we regret violent actions, so it is necessary to coordinate information among parties to avoid incidents," emphasized the FMLN. The left-wing party called the authorities, in particular the National Civil Police, to investigate the recent riots and put end to this type of event which has become routine during every elections period.

Electoral violence does not contribute to a fair and peaceful election, one in which the left has the best opportunity to govern El Salvador and start making changes in favor of the poor.

Carlos Quintanilla produces and hosts KPFK's Spanish Language News Program "Noticiero Pac¡fica", which is broadcast over 90.7 FM. Noticiero Pac¡fica is the only independent news program focusing on Latin American issues from the Los Angeles area. PO Box 761475, Los Angeles, CA 90076. E-mail: notipaci@hotmail.com.