Press Release from the Center for Exchange and Soliedarity Regarding the January 20

San Salvador, January 20, 2009

Preliminary Observations and Recommendations of the Eighth International Election Observation Mission of the Center for Exchange and Solidarity (CIS), 2009

The eighth International Election Observer Mission of CIS is observing and monitoring the election process of January and March 2009 in El Salvador. CIS is a non-governmental organization whose central objectives are to promote solidarity between the people of El Salvador and other peoples of the world and to educate and contribute to the development of democracy.

CIS has sponsored International Election Observer Missions in each election in El Salvador since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992 and this eighth mission is enhanced by the practice and experience of 15 years of election observation in El Salvador. The Election Observation Mission of January, 2009, includes more than 80 international observers from eleven nations: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The mission observed in 19 municipalities, including Cinquera, Ilobasco, Victoria, Guacotecti, San Isidro, and Sensuntepeque in the Department of Cabañas; Cojutepeque, Suchitoto, San Pedro Perulapán and San Rafael Cedros in the Department of Cuscatlán; Comasagua, Tamanique, San José Villanueva, Antiguo Cuscatlán and Santa Tecla, in the Department of La Libertad; San Salvador, Soyapango, and Tonacatepeque in the Department of San Salvador; Santa Ana in the Department of Santa Ana, and Jiquilisco in the Department of Usulután.

On January 18, 2009, we observed the following:

The voting centers opened late due to various reasons, including confusion about the process, lateness in handing out the electoral packets, late arrival or absence of members of the voting tables, and others (scheduled time of opening is 7 a.m.):

Antiguo Cuscatlán: 8 a.m.

Comasagua – 7:55 a.m. due to the absence of the secretary and suplente of the party FDR.

Ilobasco 7 a.m. 9:30 a.m.

Jiquilisco: 7:45 a.m.- the last electoral packet handed out

San José Villanueva: 8:00 a.m. (ARENA arrived late)

San Pedro Perulapán (City Center) – 7:30 a.m.

San Pedro Perulapán (Istagua) 8:10 a.m.

San Rafael Cedros (City Center) 7:45 a.m.

San Salvador (Feria Internacional) a las 8 a.m.

Sta. Ana: (INSA): 8:00 a.m.

Sta. Tecla: 7:30 a.m.

Soyapango (Hiper Paiz) 7:30 – 8:00 a.m.

Suchitoto: (City Center) 7:00 a.m.

Tamanique: 8:35 a.m.

Tonacatepeque: 8:40 a.m.

Victoria: 7:30 – 8:00 a.m.

· We witnessed a strong citizen participation in the voting, especially in the areas of Cuscatlán, where the voting was moved closer to the voters in the pilot project for residential voting. For example, in Copapayo, Suchitoto, at noon approximately 70% of registered voters had already voted.

· We did not observe violent incidents nor alterations of the process and there was great civic participation during the entire day.

· Closing of the voting center at 10 A.M: in San Isidro, Cabañas: The parties FMLN, CD, PCN, PDC declared fraud when a bus of people from the municipality of Ilobasco, which transferred their votes to influence the local election in San Isidro, although they did not live there. At about 3:45 in the afternoon, the TSE declared the election invalid.

· Transportation in San Salvador: Adequate transportation by the TSE was not observed. To get to the voting centers Juan José Cañas and Humberto Romero Alberque in San Jacinto, San Salvador one had to get through a 3 mile traffic jam voters who were going in their vehicles had to wait an hour or more to get to the voting center. There was a line of hundreds of people waiting outside Juan José Cañas School. Once again, the urgency to implement a program of residential voting was demonstrated.

· Violation of the right to a secret vote: In almost all of the voting centers, the location of the voting booth and its design were reported not to permit the constitutional right to a secret vote. In San Pedro Perulapán (city center) the vigilantes of different parties were observing the voters as they voted. In the Feria Internacional in San Salvador the voting booths were too close to the tables; the same was reported in Tonacatepeque, San Rafael Cedros, Santa Ana y Soyapango. In Jiquilisco the vigilantes of the PDC did not have party identification and were right next to the voting booth, watching the voting. The secret vote was respected in Victoria, Cabañas and Santa Tecla. .

· Orientation and voting inducement: In Suchitoto, vigilantes of ARENA were orienting persons inside the voting center. In Soyapango and Victoria, youthful supporters of the FMLN were orienting the voting inside the voting center. In San Rafael Cedros, The suplente to a Deputy was orienting voters inside the voting center. In the vicinity of the Feria Ganadera en Santa Ana there was an orientation center and inducement to vote of ARENA. The Departmental election board (JED) submitted letters on this issue. In Sensuntepeque, ARENA had an orientation center two blocks from the voting center where they were passing out food.

· Propaganda: The FMLN handed out lunches in boxes with the party banner in the city center of Cojutepeque (city center). The PCN and ARENA used bags with their party banners to hand out food in Antiguo Cuscatlán. The FMLN was distributing propaganda in Soyapango. In Cojutepeque, ARENA was distributing dirty propaganda against the FMLN. ARENA distributed propaganda in Ilobasco. In Jiquilisco, ARENA distributed bags of water with the banner of the party and had several vigilantes wearing cowboy hats with the slogan of “Avila, President”.

· Illegal transfer of voters: Guacotecti – two buses and two trucks delivered people to vote there who did not live there. In San Isidro a bus brought people who did not live in the community, which caused the voting center to be closed at 10 a.m. In San Pedro Perulapán, where there was a residential vote, different voters said they were not from there, but did not know the canton where they could vote. In Cinquera, 4 people tried to vote who were not from Cinquera. Furthermore, a logistics person was observed voting in Cinquera, despite not appearing on the electoral pardon (register) and not handing over his DUI. In Sensuntepeque when voters were asked where they were from, some revealed that they were not from there.

· Voto Residencial: In San Pedro Perulapán and Suchitoto, more than half of the population voted. In Copapayo, Suchitoto, by mid-day approximately 70% of voters had voted. There was confusion about where to vote in Cojutepeque and San Pedro Perulapán.

· Handing over DUI’s after the voting, by the authorities at the table: Only in San Pedro Perulapán was it reported that the DUI’s were left at the table or in the bag of the Secretary and not deposited in the voting box as is indicated by law. In Jiquilisco, two members of the Municipal Electoral Board voted at the first table of the center at 9:14, after the general voting had started. At the same table, the DUI’s were saved in a bag by the President and not in the voting box. The majority of the table authorities and center authorities acted with respect of the law:

· Accessibility: Almost everyone reported difficulties for disabled people as they exercised their right to vote, and some of the voting centers were not equipped for wheelchairs. In San Pedro Perulapán (city center) an older person fell because he was not able to climb the steps. There were difficulties with accessibility in Tonacatepeque, Victoria, Santa Ana (INSA), and in Antiguo Cuscatlán there was a JRV on the second floor. There was accessibility in these centers: San Rafael Cedros (city center); Ilobasco.

· Indelible ink: In Tonacatepeque the table personnel were not allowing the degreaser to dry before using the ink and later people were removing the ink with toilet paper. There was variability in the correct use of the indelible ink.

· Military presence or the incorrect use of weapons: The El Zapote Brigade in San Salvador was out of its barracks in San Jacinto. An armed PNC agent voted in Soyapango. .

· In general, there was confusion about the processes of installation and closing and counting. Also, there was confusion about the filling out of the Actas, and some tables did not write well enough on the Actas to leave legible copies on the multiple carbon copy forms.

· Miscellaneous worth noting: A bus of 46 Nicaraguans from the Union of Latin American Parties was detained in Jiquilisco at 9 P.M. on Saturday the 17^th of January. According to them, they were observers invited by the ARENA party. Nevertheless they did not have credentials and they had received no orientation or training.

We congratulate the Salvadoran people and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal for facilitating this important civic event. As the Eighth International Election Observer Mission of CIS, we reiterate our call to implement electoral reforms that strengthen transparency, citizen participation, and direct representation, including:

1. Implementing a program of residential voting in the entire country

2. Creation of a Law of Political Parties for the monitoring of the accounts of the Parties and an

examination of the sources of campaign financing and the use of the funds.

3. Pluralistic representation in Municipal Councils

4. Direct geographic representation of citizens for the election of deputies to the General Assembly

5. Direct representational voting for representatives to The Central American Parliament (PARLACEN)

6. Regulation of propaganda, pre-electoral period campaigns and dirty propaganda

7. Increase the size of voting centers and design a new voting booth with a curtain or four sides to

guarantee a secret vote

8. Create a mechanism so that people working at voting tables and party poll watchers away from their

municipality can vote in an “absentee” ballot so that they can vote in their own municipality and

department. This will remove the ability to transfer votes from one municipality to another.

Contactos: CIS: 2235-1330, 2226-5362

Leslie Schuld, directora del CIS: 7787-5407

Delmy Valencia: Coordinadora de la Misión:

Election Day

I was among a group of more than 80 people from various countries, some as far away as Australia, who observed the Municipal and Legislative Assembly elections on Sunday, January 18 through the Center for Interchange and Solidarity (CIS). Other international observers working through other organizations including a coalition of US-El Salvador Sister Cities and Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador and the European Union and the Organization of American States, also participated. This election and the Presidential election in March will be the most highly observed elections in Salvadoran history.

I and 5 others were assigned the voting centers in Cojutapeque in Cuscatlan, a municipality northeast of San Salvador. The majority of Salvadorans do not vote in a location near their homes. Each person is assigned a voting center based on the first letter of their last name. Married women are assigned according to their maiden names so husbands and wives must travel to different centers. This is a real hardship for those without automobiles. In Cuscatlan, however, there is a pilot residential voting program. This worked very well so the hope is that the government will extend this practice to all voters.

In El Salvador voters do not vote for candidates; they vote for a party. There were 6 political parties represented on the ballots. The insignia of each party appears on the ballot and voters indicate their choice by marking an X across the party of their choice.

Most voting centers are in schools which are built in the Spanish style with the classrooms opening onto a courtyard. Voting tables, booths and ballot boxes are crowed together on the sidewalks in front of each classroom offering little privacy. Representatives from each party sit at a table and compare names with ID’s and distribute ballots in the same way election judges do in the U.S. Since there were two items to be voted on, the Legislative Assembly ballot was one color and the Mayor ballot another. After voting, the ballots were placed in the ballot box of the corresponding color.

After the polls close, the election officials open the ballot boxes one at a time, hold up each ballot for others to see and give the ballot to the member of the party indicated on the ballot. Then each party member counts the ballots for his/her party. At the table where I was observing the count was carefully double checked by other officials. However, I was told that other tables were not so diligent.

The process throughout the country was very peaceful. This is a positive change over past years. Members of the various parties joked around with each other and most disputes were settled peacefully. However, there were a number of examples of fraud and improper campaigning at the voting site.

A Tale of Two Mayors

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Election observers today had a choice of a number of field trips to various locales. I chose to visit two very different municipalities where we met with the mayor of each one. Our first visit was with Milagro Navas, the ARENA mayor of Antiguo Cuscatlan. ARENA is the far right political party which is in control of the central government at this time. However, Mayor Navas has overseen the development of a model community. She is fortunate that there is much wealth here, and she has chosen to invest in the community rather than pocket the wealth for her own benefit. Three embassies are located in the community, there are a large number of industries, unemployment is the lowest in the country and they have good schools. In order for a new business to locate here, they must agree that 50% of their employees come from this municipality. She claims that her municipality has the best water in the country and that they take care of trees and the land.

When asked how she came to have such power as a woman in a macho society, she said that she has to be a woman of strength as she works only with men. She said she was selected as the best mayor in the entire country, is Treasurer of the mayors association in El Salvador and is General Secretary of the organization of mayors of Central America.

As with most Salvadorans, her experience during the Civil War from 1980-1992 has influenced her political beliefs. Her family were large land owners in the area of Suchitoto at the beginning of the war. Part of their land was taken by the guerrilla forces, and they were forced to leave the area. She is opposed to the teaching of Oscar Romero and believes the church and priests should have nothing to do with politics.

The municipality of Suchitoto offers a distinct contrast to that of Antiguo Cuscatlan. We met with Mayor Javier Martinez of the leftist FMLN (Faribundo Marti Liberacion Nacional) political party. Mayor Martinez has also developed a model community but with far fewer resources to work with than Mayor Nivas. Its economy is primarily based on agriculture though tourism is growing here. Several women's cooperatives have been established in recent years. These cooperatives create embroidered textiles or candies and jellies made from native fruits. Others have revived the ancient art of dying cloth with indigo or making candles, shampoo and natural soaps. The municipality receives only 2% of its budget from the Salvadoran government. The rest comes from the international community from countries such as Spain.

Because Suchitoto was a main area of conflict during the civil war, many people left at that time and social structures such as schools, homes and roads were destroyed. Repopulation of the area began in 1989, and the first development plan was made in 1995. At first only 10% of families had electricity and 13% had potable water. Now 94% have electricity and 93% have water.

The municipality has a recycling program and sewage treatment. I was somewhat surprised that they have a 2030 Plan. Included in this plan for the future is putting pressure on the government of San Salvador and surrounding communities to clean up the river that flows into Lake Suchitlan, a beautiful but highly polluted lake near the city of Suchitoto.

La Iglesia Bautista El Cordero de Dios

It was good to attend church this morning and reconnect with old friends. As I mentioned last year, this Baptist church is nothing like most of the Baptist churches in the United States. Today's sermon was about baptism. Tito, the pastor, said that baptism is only a symbol and that there are many symbols in the Bible. It is not enough to be baptized, take communion or participate in other rituals of the church. We must also serve and work for justice. He pointed out that there are 20 killings in San Salvador every week, poverty is great and prostitution and violence are rampant. He asked, "Where is the church? What is it doing to address these problems?" Those are questions we in churches in the US should also consider.

Celebrating the New Year in El Salvador

The man from whom I'm renting a room this year not only has a microwave and a washing machine and clothes dryer, but also owns a beautiful home on the beach. He invited Leslie, the Director of the CIS (the organization which sponsors election observations and has the Spanish and English Schools), 2 other election observers and me to spend New Year's Eve and Day at his beach home. So while most of you were covered with snow and shivering from the cold, we were sunning ourselves and enjoying the ocean breeze.
I've included a few photos in this post. Marvin, the only man in the group, is a gourmet cook and thus was delighted to prepare all our meals. He arranged our plates so that the food both tasted and looked great.