Former El Salvador guerrillas ahead in vote count

[Judi Lynn]

Former El Salvador guerrillas ahead in vote count
Published: Monday 19 January 2009 07:28 UTC
Last updated: Monday 19 January 2009 10:41 UTC

In the parliamentary elections in El Salvador, the former guerilla movement the FMLN is ahead of its main rival, the right-wing ARENA party. A third of the votes have been counted. ARENA has been in power for almost 20 years, but now FMLN believes they will become the leading power in the country.

Mayoral elections are being held at the same time. Presidential elections are due to be held in March. FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes is favourite to win.

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6139800/Former-El-Salvador-guerrillas-ahead-in-vote-count

[roody]

1. Results set the stage for a hard - fought presidential race

Municipal and Legislative results set the stage for a hard-fought presidential race leading up to March 15

CISPES Elections Update, January 19, 2009

On January 18, Salvadorans went to the polls to elect 262 mayors, one for every municipality in the country, as well as 84 deputies in the national assembly. After a tense day of voting, both the leftist FMLN party and the right-wing ARENA party celebrated victories, with the FMLN declaring itself the largest political force in the country after winning the most seats in the legislative assembly. Though results are still preliminary, it appears that the FMLN has increased its number of legislative deputies by four or five, while the right-wing ARENA party has either lost seats or stayed at the same level. Such a victory would give the FMLN 37 or 38 seats in the Assembly to ARENA’s 33 or 34, a significant change in the correlation of forces.

On the other hand, ARENA claimed victory in the capital city of San Salvador, though the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has yet to declare a winner, and the FMLN has said that it must await more results. ARENA’s Norman Quijano held a 2-3% lead with more than half the votes counted this morning.

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http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=35&Itemid=28

[Ken Burch]

2. If the FMLN wins, Obama needs to invite their leaders to the White House

He could deliver a clear apology for the misery we've brought to that country for decades now, and could make it even clearer than his inaugural address did that the U.S. policies of the past towards the rest of the hemisphere will never be repeated.

[dipsydoodle]

3. The Majority Chose Change, El Salvador Candidate

San Salvador, Jan 20 (Prensa Latina) salvadorian presidencial candidate Mauricio Funes considered Sunday's municipal legislative elections as successful, because the Farabundo Marti Front is today the country's first political force.

"We have increased our votes along the nation, in departments and locally, and in the legislative authority as well. If we maintain that same situation for the elections on March 15, there is no doubt we will win the presidency," he said.

In an interview with Prensa Latina, Funes explained that the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) increased its number of parliament members from 32 to 37, while Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) remains with 34 and could lose two others.

"What does that mean? That we increased the vote in relation to the year 2006 and this is giving us greater presence in the Legislative Assembly," he explained.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={6F36BBCC-9F14-4590-BC94-61F1E9714361}&language=EN