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Elections 2009
 El Salvador is at a crossroads. Municipal and National Assembly elections will take place on January 18th, 2009. The Presidential Elections are scheduled for the 15th of March. This means that between January and March, every elected position, and in turn every appointed position, will be up for grabs. Although many parties exist to meet citizens’ interests, presidential elections are dominated by two parties: the leftist party, FMLN (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) and the rightist, neoliberal party ARENA (National Republican Alliance), which has controlled the executive branch since 1989.
Already, this election cycle has distinguished itself because, for the first time in almost 20 years, polls indicate that potential voters favor the FMLN candidate, Mauricio Funes. Therefore, this is an important moment in Salvadoran politics that could change the current state of affairs. After 12-years of a bloody civil war that raged from 1981 until 1992, the people of El Salvador have faced almost 20 years of neoliberal policies that have instituted an unsustainable economic model based on imports. This model makes the country more vulnerable to volatile global issues such as the food crisis, forcing Salvadorans to migrate in search of a better life. Currently, about one third of Salvadorans live abroad, mostly in the United States. The remittances they send constitute about 20% of the country’s GDP.
This harsh reality has generated general discontent. The 2009 elections represent people’s most viable democratic mechanism to make their voice heard. For this reason, it is paramount that free and fair elections are ensured to secure the future of the country.
The SHARE Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today would like to encourage delegates to come as International Elections Observers to ensure that these elections are free, fair, and above reproach.
Click to go to the:
Elections Watch: September 2008 Update
2009 Elections Primer
2009 Elections Delegation Page
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