Election Day El Salvador March 11th 2012

by Frikard Ellemand

One thing that really surprised me during the municipal and legislative assembly elections of El Salvador 2012 was what you could call the mood of the day. I had expected strong tensions - only 20 years have passed since the signing of the peace accords marked an ending to the war between left and right in the country. Since then the old guerilla has transformed itself into a political party growing stronger and stronger each passing election culminating in winning the presidency in 2009. The political climate in El Salvador is extremely polarized. There is no love between the two big parties, and the newcomer GANA, being a split from the old right wing Republican Party ARENA, doesn’t exactly make things more romantic. Considering what happened during the 12 year civil war it would have come as no surprise if things were tense.

However the actual “feel” of the day was all but tense. Yes, I did hear the stories of hard discussions and petty rejections over what were obviously only formalities, but what I saw and heard that day myself was quite the contrary. Let me give you some examples. Several of the tables were in good spirit and one table in particular was joking all day long, even to a point where they would make technically improper remarks (“…and thank you for casting the correct vote”) but instead of calling upon the electoral authorities to complain, the members of the rivalling parties would laugh and come up with something equally jokingly offensive (“...because we all know what you voted!”).

Another case would be the vote count. During our training we have been prepared to expect that every possibility of contesting a vote would be taken, even to the point were it the voters intention would be blatantly obvious – in short really bad sportsmanship. But what I actually met at the table during the count was a harsh but fair count. Only one vote was contested (the ink had bled through and marked another x) but after a short dispute they decided to give vote to the CD vigilante whose party was not even represented in the Junta of the table (“she only has three, let her have it!”).

Combining those examples with a very tranquil day were the worst incident was the return of the drunken voter who was refused earlier, leaves me slightly confused; are they really the same people who stopped killing each other 20 years ago? It very well might be that it was not a presidential election and that I was observing in a very partial and therefore quiet part of the country, but that aside I couldn’t recognize the expectations of pettiness and bitter rivalry we were given during the training. Whether this is a tendency or not is an open question but what it does show is that at least it is possible for people to move on in order to make the democratic process work. One can only hope that the good sportsmanship shown on this occasion will reach the higher levels of the electoral institutions.

Election Week

by Ida Nilsson

Election week came suddenly. Having it as a far-away-in-the-future-event for a long time made it kind of hard to realize that it was over us. After spending a couple of months in Guatemala, going back to San Salvador and CIS again felt like coming home. Happy faces from 12 different countries met us in the white washed corridors of the Hotel Grecia Real and excitement was in the air. The final training before Election Day could begin.

My experience as an elections observer started in the beginning of October last year. I had already been with CIS for 3 months, so as I prolonged my commitment I was really happy to get the opportunity to really get some in depth knowledge on the process and the history of democracy in El Salvador. There were 5 of us at the very beginning and we would always leave our training with our heads full of new information. It struck me already then that I probably know more about the system in detail here in El Salvador than I know of the behind the scenes process in Sweden, where I’m from. At every training session, questions would arise and I would find myself thinking – how does this work in my country? Never thought being in San Salvador would teach me more about Sweden J

 At that time, Election Day felt very distant but you could still notice how the parties were preparing themselves for winning the votes of the people. The posters were still not directly asking for the vote, but they were there. The faces and names of the big contenders in the race started to appear everywhere.  We were lucky enough to get the chance to meet with all the mayoral candidates of San Salvador, something they had time for because the campaigns hadn´t (officially) started. Silvia Aguilar of GANA, Jorge Schafik of the FMLN, Vicente Ramirez from PNL (See picture to right) and Andrés Espinoza from CD all agreed to meet with us and we had some very interesting discussions about their plans for the capital and their views on the, at the time, ongoing electoral changes. The current mayor of ARENA, Norman Quijano, sent a representative to our meeting which was a little bit disappointing because it would have been interesting to meet him and find out more about where he stands. The rumors say that he wants to run for president in 2014, so we might hear more from him in the future.

There were a lot of things going on. The TSE ( Supreme Electoral Tribunal) was fighting to get  some reforms approved by the parliament, while not exactly always agreeing internally (Picture to the left CIS mission meeting with the TSE). Two of the old right wing parties, PCN and PDC, were cancelled after an election failure in 2009 (Salvadorean law states that parties who don´t make the 3% limit  have to be dissolved)  but they were of course not going to go down without a fight, and therefore tried to ignore the sentence. The rains hit El Salvador in October and just wouldn´t stop. Over 30 people were killed and many villages completely shut off after mudslides. Some candidates saw this as a chance to create a good image of themselves and were handing necessities out in the shelters in their party clothes something that was denounced by many. Civic campaigns were going on to make people go and update their information so that they didn´t come to the voting centers missing one letter in their name and were denied to vote. There were also thousands of names in the national register belonging to deceased people and the need to refresh the lists was great.  It is not that uncommon for the dead to vote here in El Salvador.

Before anything was resolved, we left for Guatemala. Of course we tried to keep up with everything but it´s funny the way things become distant even though we were only a couple of hours away. Returning, the intensity of the week and all the energy of the people around us very soon made it all come back though and I felt super ready for the long day of observing once it came. My group was in Ilobasco, 10 of us in total and 3 in my center. I was expecting to be a lot more tired as the day progressed but everything was so interesting to see after all the time talking about it in theory that time just seemed to fly by.

In my opinion, El Salvador has some real challenges to face in the future to consolidate their young democracy. Some structural and very important changes have been made, like implementing the residential vote, but other things are still missing. Real electoral content; presenting the suggested solutions a party has to the issues of the country is one, instead of simplifying the country´s future in catchy slogans. But I must say I am impressed by the dedication many salvadoreans showed on election day, both as voters and in the many functions of the process. Even though the information on all the changes was late and many didn´t understand the new process, and even though training of officials had serious shortcomings, people were dedicated and did the best they could. I´m happy to have witnessed that and to have been a part of this adventure. 

The plans for returning in 2014 are already being made. See you then! J

See the CIS's website for the COMMUNIQUÈ OF THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL ELECTORAL OBSERVATIONS MISSION.

Getting Ready for the 2012 Elections

Blog by: Carlitos Malischke

Nine political parties.  Every mayoral position up for grabs.  And all 84 congressional seats.  While this may not be a presidential election, this is a very significant electoral event in the democratic process of El Salvador.

CIS started observing elections in 1994, the first year I was here as an observer.  I was here again in 2004 observing in El Paraiso, and also in Chalatenango city in 2009 when the FMLN won the presidency with the nation electing Mauricio Funes.  People said it was the culmination of 75 years of "la lucha".

Now we are less than a week away from March 11th, another election day in El Salvador.  For the first time there will be residential voting in half the country.  Many Salvadorans who previously had to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup to vote in the next town, will now be able to walk to their village grade school to vote.  This will make it much easier for many Salvadorans to exercise their right to vote.

However, when they get to the voting site they will encounter a far more complicated ballot.  Actually there will be two separate ballots, listed below.  One for electing the mayors.  The ballot that just has the party flags, which is the traditional ballot.  Just mark the symbol of your favorite party and you are done.  

Town Council Ballots 

 With the easy vote out of the way a voter will then have to deal with the ballot for legislative assembly seats, or "diputados".  Each department of El Salvador is apportioned seats based on its population.  For example, Chalatenago has three seats.  San Salvador, with its much larger concentration of people, has twenty-five. And there are independent candidates not affiliated with any party.  They appear on the bottom of the ballot.

 

Legislative Assembly Ballots (Each department has a different number of faces according to the deputies being elected.  For example San Salvador 25 and Cuscatlan 3) 

  

Pictures of the 25 assembly candidates for each of the nine political parties.  This is the first time that pictures of assembly candidates will appear on the ballot.  Your vote for the candidate of your choice will influence the election outcome.

Keep in mind there are a lot of illiterate folks here, many who can't read or even sign their names.  They "sign" the voting register with their thumb print.  

  

Rosita from Guarjila explains the various voting options. 

Yet, I fear that many people know little about these candidates.  Last week I visited the small community of Teosinte in Chalatenango Department.  This is one of the repopulated communities.  They are highly favorable to the FMLN.  In Chalatenango there are three seats up for grabs.  And the FLMN has three candidates.  I asked Yolanda if she knew who the candidates were.  She could only name one.

I'm not here in El Salvador just to observe elections.  I'm here to be with family and friends.  Some 20 years ago the good folks from several of the repopulated communities in Chalatenango invited churches to sister, or twin with them.  I'm proud to say that today, there are three Milwaukee area Catholic churches, as well as the Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin, with 20 years of sistering with communities of El Salvador.  International solidarity is strong and essential to our world today.  So, I come to be with friends and family. 

The week before joining the Elections Delegation at CIS I traveled north to the Department of Chalatenago.  It was Ash Wednesday in Guarjila, a humbling call to conversion.

CIS facilitates my relationships and my ministry with the people of El Salvador.  I owe much to CIS and all those who work and volunteer at CIS.  It's a wonderful family to be part of.  I try, in the small way that I can, to contribute to the ongoing mission of CIS.

Back in the capital of San Salvador we met with some of the political parties and members of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).  Jorge Schafik, son of Shafik Handel, is the FMLN candidate for mayor of the capital city of San Salvador.  He explained the party platform to our group of observers.

(Candidate Shafick holding fold-out)

I'll be observing in the town of San Jose Villanueva, where the voting population is close to 13,000 people.  I expect the one main school building where voting will occur will be jam packed all day next Sunday.  It will be quite a priviledge to observe, and a long day at that.

Preparations for voting begin at 5am.  The Voting Center opens at 7am, closes at 5pm.  It's going to be a long, hot day.  And then the counting of the ballots.  I hope we're done by midnight.  But, they are predicting a long night.  And the people will be awaiting the results.

 Life goes on in El Salvador.  The struggle is an everyday challenge.  But, amid the pain and suffering there is joy and celebration of life and love.

Teaching English in San Luis

Claire (Volunteer) with her Students in San Luis

This past Sunday I turned out of the beaten-earth yard of a home in the community of San Luis Los Ranchos, leaving the chickens pecking beneath the mango tree. With each step the yellow dust of the road spilled over my boots; it was, quite literally, ankle-deep. But my mind was not on the state of my clothes as I walked, nor on the pines that shelter the coffee bushes in the adjoining finca (coffee-growing estate). I had just bid farewell to the family who’d welcomed me into their home each weekend for the past two months.

The Classroom

Typically I would arrive on a Saturday, teach an English class for community kids that afternoon, stay overnight, teach another class the following morning, and return to San Salvador late Sunday afternoon. In the family’s cocina (kitchen) I’d eat beans and corn tortillas, and sip coffee picked, roasted, and ground on-site. In their sleeping shelter at night I’d listen to the mountain wind buffeting the corrugated metal walls, and in their open-air communal area I’d read the story of “Senor Mole” with the kids. In the spare time we had we’d go for walks through the finca or play football in the local cancha (football/soccer field).

The end of the CIS teaching cycle meant that I now needed to move on, and I found it impossible to explain the reasons why to six-year-old Nahun. This had nothing to do with my limited fluency in Spanish. Unlike his 11-year-old sister, Michelle, he has no understanding of entrance visas and election observation missions. But unlike his three-year-old niece, Alejandra, who was still calling: “Clarita? Clase de inglés manana?” (English class tomorrow?) as I waved goodbye, he knows I won’t be coming back.

I came to CIS believing I’d be teaching English to adults in the city, and ended up teaching children and youth in El Salvador’s countryside, a choice that called to me when presented as an option. Mine was a very different experience from the other volunteers in the English program this cycle (January to March 2012), one that required weekend travel, an acceptance that classes might be cancelled when students had to work, help their families, or take part in other activities, and an understanding that the outdoor classroom could be used for community meetings. It also involved affirmation of the importance of learning more than ensuring acquisition of a language. I did not test my students, nor did they graduate from a level. As time passes, will they remember any of the vocabulary and phrases that we covered in our classes? Hard to say. But I think they will remember that someone – CIS – cared enough to make the time for them.

Open Mic at the English School

Two of our English School classes, Intermediate A and B, combined for an Open Mic Night.  The students prepared speeches, poems, and spoken word incorporating social themes that are important to them.  We are so very proud of the students! All of their speeches were passionate and very moving. Every student worked hard on preparing their performance... and we know it takes a lot of courage to speak in front a crowd.   We are proud of all who participated! 

Congratulations to Natalie and Jean the teachers who coordinated this event!

Here is some of their work:

Higher Education

by Manuel Torres

Higher education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology. Higher education also includes certain collegiate-level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools, and career colleges, that award academic degrees or professional certifications.

There are three public and twelve private universities in El Salvador. The most important universities are the University of El Salvador authorized in 1841 and The Central America University (UCA) in San Salvador. After the war, the participation of women became very significant. In 1993, some 77,369 students were enrolled at universities and other higher-level institutions; approximately 51 percent of these students were female. Attaining a university education is still the key to status in Salvadoran society.

Learning throughout life is important. Even our jobs require us to be competitive and that can be achieved only through constant learning.

Learning has the power of transformation. We can be very successful in relations, at home, with families, at the work place, or in any community. Learning helps us not only to solve day to day problems but also to change our attitudes.

Education and a demonstrated ability to learn are the most required criteria for hiring and employment success. Our jobs require us to learn as educational expectations continue to rise for both employers and employees. Major benefits of learning are as follows:

·        It enhances personal growth and opens expanded horizons

·        It increases employability and improves career development prospects

·        It provides us with the ability to create our own future

For these reasons and a lot more I invite you to get your degree.

I believe in you!!!.

HOMELESS::::::::::: without a place to live.

People sometimes sleep, eat and wash in a homeless shelter.


Good evening everybody, I hope at the end of this speech, you will be convinced of my dream.

I say you today that there are many difficulties and inequalities in the world and there aren’t many opportunities to grow in life

My dream is that one day in wherever place, everyone will live in a house where she or he be safe from whatever  dangerous  situation exists, like gangsters, drugs and weapon traffic.

I hope one day the wealthy countries will be able to provide some of their economic resources for those people.

It would be sad to live in the streets suffering those kinds of adversities. My dream is in the future all of humanity will live happy, sharing all the good things like: animals, plants and all kind of food that God created for all of them.

I don’t think my dream is impossible to become true, we just need the willingness of the powerful governments in the world to do it.

I am asking to my God don’t permit that I die before my dream will be true.

 

PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION

Saul Ramirez

Public Transportation in our country is a real danger. The majority of buses need to be replaced for new ones. There is always fear that while you are traveling the bus could break down, because it is so damaged.

Another sad situation is that when you travel by bus you have a high risk of be robed and sometimes assaulted because they want your money, cell phone, jewelry or watch.

On the other hand, talking about the laws, we know that the law is not strong enough for the buses drivers, because sometimes they drive drunk or on drugs.

Perhaps in the future this situation could change. Some people are talking about new laws for public transportation in which they are going to take out all the buses that don’t follow the rules.

They are going to design new roads for the buses which are longer than the we have at this moment.

I am sure all people are waiting for a good change in the public transportation.

Mirna Lopez

I always thought that we are equal like a human being, when I was a child my mom thought my brother and I were equal, were accomplice, were more than men and women we were equal, we made the same things in home, we sweep, we mop, we cook, we play cars, we hammering

I grow up with that idea, but when I face the true out of home I realize that wasn’t the true because I think we were equal but not everyone thinks the same

You don’t see??

            The only difference we have is the gender

The people think that women have to be in home and the men earning money that woman belong to the kitchen and the men to the soccer field

Don’t they see we are equal? We have the same organs, the same goals, the same feelings

God make us one for each other as a complement no one can create life on their own we need each other.

God made us like him with knowledge strength, confidence-women have strength to children and the men the strength to get the food.  Woman the knowledge to make a lot of things at the same time and men to create things to make the woman life earlier.

Why doesn’t the government see the same that I see?  Why in this country in particular women doesn’t have high positions in enterprises??

Woman are not lower, don’t they realize they come out of ‘a woman’

Why they treat us different?  Probably when they were children they believe there mother were a hero, but now?  They treat us like trash?

We are equal! When everyone realize that we are going to live in a better place.

Saint Pablo    Charity

Apostle Jesus Christ

Carlos Enrique Erazo Rosales

Intermediate B

-If I speak with the tongues of men and of angles and I have not charity

I’m nothing

-If I delivered my body to the flames

And delivered my possession to the poors

If I haven’t love

I’m nothing

-because the love is reprehensible, is derorous

+if I speak with the tongues of men and of angles and I have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal

+ An if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and if I have not charity, I am nothing.

+And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and if I have not charity, it profeteth me nothing

+charity is patient, is kind: charity evenith not, dealeth not perversely, is no puffed up,

Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger thinketh no evil

+Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth

+Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,

Endoreth all things.

-charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void or tongues shall cease or knowledge shall be destroyed.

-For we know in part: and we prophesy in part.

-But when that which is perfect is rome, that which is in part shall be done away.

+When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, But, when I became a man , I put away the things of a child

+We see now through a glass in a dark manner: but then face to face.  Now I know in part: but then I shall know even as I am known

+And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity

A MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Last night, English students, Spanish students, elections volunteers, and volunteer English teachers gathered for a multicultural experience. Each teacher presented information about their home country/region- sharing stories, photos, and food. Thanks to everyone for making it a great evening!

2012 Election Observation Mission Update

Meeting at the Procuradoría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (Human Rights Ombudsman) on 25 January 2012.

Speaking with the president of the Registro Nacional de Personas Naturales (National Registry of Naturalized Persons) on 18 January 2012.

With election campaigns for diputados and alcades in full force, the Election Observation Mission has no trouble staying active. The long-term observation team expanded to three more members in the New Year, making a total eight full time volunteers from five different countries. Our agenda consists of establishing relationships with relevant institutions, getting to know the municipalities where observers will be present on Election Day (March 11), and tracking daily political news. This is the first year of major election reforms, including residential voting and the ability to vote for individual candidates, which means that our work on this mission will reveal stark changes in the process of democracy development in El Salvador.

We have been fortunate enough to have meetings with several agencies that are instrumental in the election process, including the Registro Nacional de Personas Naturales (RNPN), Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), and the Procuradoría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (PDDH). The goal of these meetings is to understand the roles of these institutions in electoral facilitation. The principle theme that we are encountering is that the process of democracy development is only a small part of greater integration of the people of El Salvador. For example the RNPN, which issues national identification cards that allow people to vote, is concerned with creating an accurate list of eligible and legal voters. This task is part of the larger goal of documenting people so they have access to social services, education, and civil rights. We look forward continuing to understand from the inside and continuing our critical investigation of election structure.

On January 24, we visited the departments of Cabañas and Cuscatlán and spoke with representatives of the local Junta Electoral Municipal (JEM - boards formed during election periods to organize the logistics of voting) and introduced ourselves to members of the local police. Packed intimately in the CIS pickup, it was an incredible way to get acquainted with the countryside of El Salvador, not to mention that we extended our list of contacts. This opportunity to see where we will be working and engage local stakeholders allowed us to better understand how our work in San Salvador will translate in the field. Our next visits will be to the Departmento of La Libertad and municipalities within San Salvador.

Our workdays at CIS have consisted of learning about the new voting system, compiling press monitoring reports to create the weekly election bulletins, and briefings on the history, culture, and current political climate of El Salvador. As previously stated, this is the first year the greater part of the country will be voting at centers designated by their geographical residence, and ballots will have images of the diputados (legislative candidates) allowing voters to favor individual candidates in addition to political parties. CIS is working with other NGOs on voter education initiatives, including a how-to-vote workshop for the English school students of CIS. We also keep up-to-date news reports, read through the three main newspapers, watch T.V. news programs, listen to radio broadcasts, and take note of the vast amount of political propaganda that fills the streets.

As election time gets closer, our understanding of El Salvadorian democracy and elections becomes more comprehensive, and our enthusiasm for the work that we do increases. We look forward to deepening and expanding our relationships in the municipalities and watching the events of the elections unfold. For more weekly information on the development of the electoral campaigns see our Bulletin at the CIS websites.