CISPES 2009 Salvadoran Elections Blog

in English below

Estas elecciones presidenciales de 15 de marzo de 2009 han sido una de las mas monitoreadas a nivel internacional. Más de 200 medios de comunicación han hecho presencia en los diferentes centros de votación dándole cobertura a esta votación de elecciones presidencial. Medios como Al Jazeera, Univisión, Telemundo, Le Monde, CNN, etc.

De igual manera se ha contado con una gran afluencia de observadores internacionales tal como los Procuradores de los Derechos Humanos de toda Centro America, de partidos políticos de izquierda y derecha de America Latina y organizaciones de base de EE.UU. y Europa.

Más de 2,000 observadores nacionales también se acreditaron para cubrir este proceso electoral.

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Polls closed at 5pm, the vote count has begun with more than 5,000 observers as witnesses.

These presidential elections of March 15, 2009 have been one of the most monitored elections on the international level.  More than 200 media outlets have been present in different voting centers providing media coverage of these presidential elections.  Media outlets  like Al Jazeera, Univisión, Telemundo, Le Monde, CNN, etc.
Similarly, a great influx of international observers has been reported from the Human Rights Ombudsman offices of all of Central America, from left and right Latin American political parties and from grassroots organizations of the US and Europe.

More than 2,000 national observers were also accredited to cover this electoral process.

The polls have closed as of 5:00PM El Salvador time (7:00PM eastern). The first preliminary results are expected around 7:30 in El Salvador.

A Nicaraguan in San Miguel was arrested after being found to have voted three times with a false DUI (voter ID card).

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Un nicaragüense fue capturado en San Miguel después de votar tres veces con un DUI falso.

en español abajo

* A nicaraguan man was found in San miguel having voted 3 times with a false DUI

* FMLN, presidential candidate, Mauricio Funes has denounced in 2 different interviews that the Yo No Entrego A El Salvador right wing activist are passing out pamphlets and other propaganda which is basically campaigning for ARENA and is illegal

* Apparently the police attacked FMLN militants in San Miguel, who were guarding Nicaraguan foreigners to not letting them vote. This are still waiting for confirmation on the written press about this incident, but the attack has been reported on the radios.

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Se informa por TV la violencia e irregularidades en sitios electorales
15 de marzo, 2009

* Se encontró que un hombre nicaragüense en San Miguel que había votado 3 veces con un DUI falso.

* El candidato presidencial del FMLN, Mauricio Funes, denunció en dos entrevistas distintas que los activistas derechistas del Yo No Entrego El Salvador están pasando volantes y otra propaganda adicional que básicamente hace campaña por ARENA y es ilegal.

* Aparentemente la policía atacó a militantes del FMLN en San Miguel, quienes vigilaban a extranjeros nicaragüenses para no permitirles votar. Siguen esperando confirmación en la prensa escrita acerca de este incidente, pero el ataque ha sido reportado en las emisoras de radio.

Upside Down World is featuring a live radio feed in English to present election results to solidarity activists in the States and around the world. They are mostly playing music right now, but will be presenting results and analysis once the polls close.

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1765/1

With just over an hour left in Election Day, reports of ARENA activists exhibiting violence and aggression have increased. In a voting center in San Miguel, an international observer was hit by an ARENA supervisor. In Jutiapa, Cabañas, an argument errupted between ARENA and FMLN members at a Voting Table over the validity of a DUI. When international observers began taking photographs to document the argument, the ARENA members threatened to beat them up.  In San Martín, ARENA members were passing out shirts and FMLN activists tried to stop them.  An ARENA member showed that he was armed.  FMLN members called international observers over who began photographing the incident and the ARENA members ran off.

English follows…

Informe imperfecto de la entrevista con Oscar Luna, Procuraderia para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en canal 21 sobre la iregularidades observadas hoy: El le dijo que han recibido denuncias de y estan investigando a negocios y empleadores que han tratado de influir a sus empleados/as a votar por algun partido politico. Luna dijo que algunos empleadores les han llevado a sus empleados/as a sus oficinas para llenar papaletas en un “simulacro.” Tambien hay denuncias que hay empleadores que estan amenazando a sus empleados/as que tienen que sacar una foto de su papaleta al cento de votacion para mostrar el lunes que han votado por ARENA o si no, les van a despedir. Oscar Luna aseguro a los votantes que esta practica es ilegaly que todos tienen derecho a un voto secreto. Tambien dijo que se han documentado unas concentraciones de “votantes” en edificios institutionales.

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Partial report from Channel 21 interview with Human Rights Ombudsman Oscar Luna (Procuraduria para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, en espanol) regarding irregularities observed today. He said they have received reports of and are investigating businesses that are trying to influence their employees to vote for a particular political party. He said some employers were bringing employees into their offices during the week to vote on a ballot as a “simulation.” Also there have been reports that employers are telling employees that they must take a picture of their vote at the voting centers to show them on Monday that they voted for ARENA or they will lose their job. Oscar Luna assured voters that this is illegal and that they have the right to a secret vote. He also added that they have documented concentrations of “voters” in institutional buildings.

in english below

La Prensa Gráfica reporta que Observadores internacionales de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) confirman extranjeros queriendo votar en estas elecciones presidenciales salvadoreñas. En su primer informe de apertura de las urnas, de los comicios de este domingo, Gustavo Fernández, jefe de la misión de observadores de la OEA, aseguró que han constatado hechos de varios extranjeros queriendo votar en la zona oriental del país.

Torola, en Morazán y San Cayetano y Tepetitán, en San Vicente, son los lugares donde la misión ha constatado estos problemas en las primeras horas de la mañana, y se ha visto a hondureños con Documentos Únicos de Identidad (DUI), listos para emitir el sufragio.

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La Prensa Gráfica is reporting that international observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) confirmed that foreigners were trying to vote in this presidential election. In his first report concerning the opening of the polls this morning, Gustavo Fernández, Chief of Mission of the OAS observation team, stated that they have found facts confirming that various foreigners have been trying to vote in the eastern part of the country.

In the first hours of the morning, the group of OAS observers found these problems in the regions of Torola, in Morazán, as well as San Cayetano and Tepetitán, in San Vicente. OAS observers witnessed Hondurans with voter ID cards (DUIs) ready to cast their votes.

Hack transaltion in English here.

Esto acaba de salir en Noticias con cita de la ganadora de Premio Nobel de la Paz, Rigoberta Menchú, quien fue aceptada recientemente como observadora independiente.

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This story just came out in Noticias with a quote from Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú who was recently accepted as an independent observer.

Read the English translation here.

An earlier article on the same topic appeared late yesterday. (English hack translation provided by google translation)

in English below

El cuarto en el Estadio Flor Blanca donde se están guardando las papeletas extras del centro está lleno de agua. Las cajas de papeletas electorales están agrupadas en el suelo y ahora están todas mojadas. El policía que mantiene guardia en este cuarto alega que no sabe como sucedió esto.

El Estadio Flor Blanca es el Centro Electoral en el cual se les asigna votar a los Salvadoreños que obtuvieron sus tarjetas de identificación (DUIs) en los EEUU. El registro electoral para el centro contiene casi 50,000 nombres y hay 10 mesas en el centro. Para evitar que las mesas tengan 5,000 papeletas electorales en la mesa, la TSE decidió que las mesas tendrían solo 500 papeletas electorales y que el resto serían guardados en un cuarto bajo guardia y se distribuirían según sea necesario. Hasta este momento, solo se han presentado 90 personas a votar en este centro.

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The room at Estadio Flor Blanca where the center’s extra ballots are being stored is full of water. The boxes of ballots are stacked on the ground and are all wet now. The police officer guarding this room claims to not know how this happened.

Estadio Flor Blanca is the Voting Center where Salvadorans who got their ID cards (DUIs) in the US are assigned to vote. The voting list for the center contains almost 50,000 names and their are 10 tables at the center. In order to avoid the tables having 5,000 ballots sitting at the table, the TSE decided tables would only have 500 ballots at a time and the rest would be stored in a guarded room and distributed as needed. As of now, only 90 people have shown up to vote in this center.

in English below
A medida que sigue desarrollándose la Jornada Electoral, se observa una salida masiva del votantes. Ya para las 9 AM, 750 de los 7,500 votantes registrados habían votado en Jutlapa Cabañas y muchas líneas tenían filas de hasta 50 personas. Ambos candidatos presidenciales (Mauricio Funes del FMLN y Rodrigo Avila de ARENA) ya han votado en sus respectivos centros de votación.
También se han recibido informes de que hay una enorme presencia policial y de las fuerzas armadas en los centros de votación, en especial en los departamentos de San Vicente y de Chalatenango.
Observadores y ciudadanos van denunciando que el partido ARENA está pasando propaganda electoral, incluyendo hojas sueltas, camisas y pegatinas a menos de 100 metros de los centros de votación. Esto es ilegal no solo porque viola las reglas de distancia, sino también porque el miércoles pasado era el último día para distribuir propaganda política.

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As the Election Day continues to develop, a massive turnout of voters is being observed. By 9 AM, 750 of the 4,700 registered voters had already voted in Jutiapa Cabañas and many tables had lines of up to 50 people. Both Presidential candidates (Mauricio Funes of the FMLN and Rodrigo Avila of ARENA) have already voted at their respective centers.

Reports are also being received that there is a huge presence of police and armed forces at voting centers, particularly in the departments of San Vicente and Chalatenango.

Observers and citizens are making denouncements that the ARENA party is passing out political propaganda including flyers, shirts, and stickers within 100 meters of the voting centers. This is illegal not only because it is within 100 meters of centers, but also because last Wednesday was the last day to distribute political propaganda.

in English below

Desde el dia de ayer, sábado por la noche a las 9PM, se dieron varias denuncias de personas congregadas en diferentes edificios públicos en diferentes puntos de San Salvador. Vecinos en residencial San Pedro en Mejicanos, denunciaron la llegada de buses con “Nicaragüenses” en las instalaciones que se crearon para albergar deportistas que vinieron a los juegos Centro Americanos y del Caribe. A las 10PM el lugar estaba cercado por simpatizantes y militantes del FMLN con la finalidad de no dejar salir a nadie del lugar para que fueran a votar la mañana siguiente. Los simpatizantes y militantes preguntaban a la gente dentro del recinto que de donde eran, las personas contestaban que del área metropolitana sin poder dar una dirección exacta. Despues de la mucha tensión, se hizo presente a las 11 de la noche el diputado arenero Guillermo Gallegos, con lo que quedó confirmado que las personas que estaban dentro eran movilizadas por el partido Arena. Hasta ahora nadie del partido oficial he explicado del por que del uso de las instituciones del estado para el beneficio de un partido político.

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Since Saturday night at 9PM, we have received various reports of people congregated in different government buildings in the San Salvador area. Neighbors in the San Pedro neighborhood in the city of Mejicanos reported that busses filled with “Nicaraguans” arrived at the building constructed to house international athletes for the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games.

In response to these eye-witness reports, at 10PM last night this building was sealed off by activists and supporters of the FMLN party, who pledged not to allow anyone to leave the building in order to vote in today’s presidential election. When FMLN members asked the people inside the building where they were from, they answered that they were from “the metropolitan area,” without being able to provide an exact address.

After a very tense situation, ARENA party Legislative Deputy Guillermo Gallegos arrived at the scene, seemingly confirming that the people inside the building had been mobilized by ARENA. To this moment, no one from ARENA has explained why buildings owned by the state are being used for the benefit of a political party.

in English below

Ha comenzado la Jornada Electoral y nuestro puesto de observación ha comenzado a recibir informes de Observadores Internacionales. Entre los puntos principales anotados: los miembros areneros de JRV (Junta Receptora de Voto) están siendo extremadamente agresivos y les han estado diciendo a los observadores internacionales que no se les permite hablar con nadie (a pesar de que se les concede el derecho de recibir denuncios de los ciudadanos votantes) y que los observadores internacionales no tienen derecho a tomar fotos (lo cual también es permitido por la ley electoral).

La tinta permanente que se usa para marcar los dedos de los votantes luego de que votan para que no puedan votar en una segunda ocasión no es permanente, y se puede sacar con un poco de alcohol. Para algunas personas, la tinta ni siquiera es visible en su piel.

En Santa Ana, un miembro JRV (trabajador acreditado de Junta Receptora de voto) fue acreditado, voto, luego se fue y no ha regresado. A los observadores y otros trabajadores electorales les preocupa que ahora el también va a votar en su Junta Electoral Muncipal (JEM) asignada.

En Santa Ana, en el Centro Electoral del Bachillerato Industrial INSA, al abrir el centro, todos los paquetes electorales ya estaban en las mesas electorales en lugar de ser entregados uno por uno desde la Junta Electoral Municipal a la JRV (Junta Receptora de Voto).

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Election Day has begun and our observatory is beginning to receive reports from International Observers. The primary things noted include:
ARENA JRV members (voting table workers) are extremely aggressive and have been telling observers they aren’t allowed to speak with anyone (despite the fact they are given the right to receive denouncements) and that they don’t have the right to take photographs (this is also permitted by electoral law).
The permanent ink used to mark people’s fingers after voting so they cannot vote a second time is not permanent and can be removed with a small amount of alcohol. For some people, the ink doesn’t even show up at all on their skin.

In Santa Ana, a JRV member (voting table worker) was accredited, voted, and then left and has not returned. Observers and other electoral workers are concerned that he is now going to also vote in his assigned Voting Center.

In Santa Ana at the Voting Center Bachillerato Industrial INSA, when the center opened, all of the electoral packets were already on the voting tables instead of being handed over one by one from the Municipal Electoral Board (JEM) to the JRVs (voting tables).

en español abajo

Report from 2 Observers from the International Observers Mission (MOI):

(see also this article)

At 9:30 tonight we responded to a radio broadcast complaint regarding busloads of Nicaraguans, brought into the country presumably to vote in tomorrow’s presidential election. We arrived and parked a block away from ARENA national headquarters and immediately saw a truck on the other side of the street, which had about 25 men piled into the back. When they saw us they sped off around the corner.  Then, with a police escort we arrived at the headquarters to be greeted by dozens of ARENA activists outside in front; they looked more than a little shook up, all the lights were on inside the headquarters and more ARENA activists were peaking out the windows, trying to play it cool.

Read the rest of this entry »

ARENA Magistrate Walter Araujo on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has unilaterally decided to stop the accreditation of International Observers. While hundreds of observers are being denied accreditation, they are continuing to accredit observers from the ARENA front organization “Yo No Entrego El Salvador” (”I Won’t Turn Over El Salvador”). The decision has resulted in denouncements from International Observers as well as other magistrates on the TSE, NGOs, and social movement organizations. “It seems to us that this type of action calls into question electoral transparency and openness,” said Eugenio Chicas, FMLN magistrate on the TSE, who demanded an emergency meeting of the TSE to resolve this issue.

Niegan acreditación a observadores internacionales en El Salvador

Click to watch Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon’s public statement, made on March 13, confirming that the United States will respect the results of El Salvador’s presidential election.

The last two days have produced some very uncharacteristic articles in La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador’s largest – and overtly right-wing – newspaper), the first of which is  an article about Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon’s declaration of US neutrality in the Salvadoran presidential election.  The second article quotes Tom Shannon and Robert Blau (charge d’affaires at the US embassy in El Salvador) regarding US neutrality, and goes further to reprint quotes from Chairman of the House Committe on Foreign Affairs Howard Berman, who outright repudiates earlier Republican threats of US intervention if Salvadorans vote for the FMLN.   According to La Prensa, Blau met with both presidential candidates and assured them both that the US would work cooperatively with either one.

Click here and here to read horribly mutilated english transaltions of these articles by way of google translations!

Another great article from Bob Naiman about the upcoming elections in El Salvador, US statements of neutrality, and the amazing response of solidarity activists to counter the dirty tactics of Republicans in Congress (with a shout out to CISPES at the end!)  Also appears on the Daily Kos.

Obama Administration Affirms U.S. Neutrality in Salvadoran Election

Thank you, President Obama. At long last – better late than never – a high-level official of the Obama Administration has clearly affirmed U.S. neutrality ahead of Sunday’s Presidential election in El Salvador.

Voice of America reports:

Friday in Washington, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon said the United States supports the democratic process in El Salvador and will work with whomever is elected.

Read the rest of this entry »

Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has posted a very strongly worded statement in opposition to the statements made by Connie Mack and Dana Rohrbacher.  Read it!

This Friday, Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon came out with some information that will really dissapoint certain House Republicans (Lincoln Diaz Balart and friends), namely that the US maintains an offical position of neutrality in the Salvadoran presidential elections.  Now we just need to get the embassy to hold a press conference in San Salvador!  (See the Action Alert below for details!)

In the Voice of America

In El Paso Times (en espagnol)

also picked up in elEconomisto (en espagnol)