MEDIA ADVISORYMarch 11, 2009Contacts: In the United States Alexis Stoumbelis, (202) 521-2510 x.201In El Salvador Leah Wilson, 011 (503) 7307-0146{mospagebreak}U.S. residents to observe March 15 presidential election in El Salvador; delegates available for interviews with U.S. media{mospagebreak}33 Members of Congress send letter to Obama calling for U.S. neutrality and respect for election resultsElection could signify first change of government in 20 yearsWASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than 60 members of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) have arrived in El Salvador as accredited international observers for the March 15 presidential election. These observers, some of whom have been in El Salvador monitoring the campaign for more than three months, are available for interviews starting immediately, as well as on election day on Sunday and throughout the week following the election. CISPES will maintain an Election Day Blog with first-hand observers' reports and other news from around El Salvador, including preliminary election results as they are available, at http://cispes.org/09electionsblog/.

Last week, 33 Members of Congress, led by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), sent a letter to the Obama Administration calling for the U.S. to remain neutral in the final week of campaigning, respect the results of the election, and commit to seeking a positive relationship with whichever party is elected. Refuting interventionist statements made by Bush Administration officials during El Salvador's 2004 campaign, the letter asserts that the proper position of the U.S. Congress and government is one of neutrality and respect for El Salvadors independent democratic process. This weekend's presidential election is widely viewed as the best chance yet for the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a former guerrilla force, to win the presidency. The FMLN signed Peace Accords with the Salvadoran government and became a political party in 1992. FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes has consistently led in polls over rival Rodrigo Ávila of the far-right Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), which has governed El Salvador since 1989.El Salvador's presidential race, the first in the Western Hemisphere since President Obama was elected in November, has generated substantial international attention, as evidenced by last week's Congressional letter. In addition to hundreds of observers representing civil society organizations from around the world, both the European Union and the Organization of American States have official observation missions in the country.Contact to set up interviews with election observers in El SalvadorAlexis Stoumbelis, (202) 521-2510 x.201Follow the news on election day at cispes.org/09electionsblog