[Cispes-update] Election Day update #1: Alarming number of foreigners present in country on Election Day in El Salvador

[CISPES National Office]

*Alarming number of foreigners present in country on Election Day in El 
Salvador
CISPES Election Day update #1
 January 18, 2008
/(check out all the latest updates at 
http://cispes.org/09electionsblog/) <http://cispes.org/09electionsblog/>/
*

blog pic <http://cispes.org/09electionsblog/>FMLN and community leaders 
have expressed concern over an alarming number of foreigners 
(particularly Nicaraguans and Guatemalans) present in the country on 
Election Day, presumably bused in by the right-wing to vote.  Their 
presence is troubling considering previous denouncements of foreigners 
on the voter registry and foreigners voting in past elections.

FMLN representatives reported that six buses of foreigners were detained 
in the department of La Unión, another 3 buses of foreigners in the 
department of Usulután, and the National Civilian Police (PNC) reported 
another bus of Nicaraguans in the municipality of San Miguel.  Last 
week, members of the FMLN, National Conciliation Party (PNC), Christian 
Democrat Party (PDC), and Democratic Change (CD) denounced before the 
TSE that the incumbent ARENA mayoral candidate was distributing DUIs to 
Honduran citizens that were found on the voter registry in San Isidro 
Cabañas.

The FMLN party is poised to make significant gains in both municipal 
governments and legislative representatives in today's elections.  For 
the first time ever, ARENA is expected to lose its spot as having the 
most seats in the Legislative Assembly.  Busing in of foreigners to 
vote, vote buying, employer threats, and various types of voter fraud 
have all been denounced in the past as methods used by the right-wing 
and ARENA to manipulate the Salvadoran electoral process.
*
CISPES activists participating as observers report numerous irregularities*

/Late Openings and Early Chaos/
CISPES activists that are participating along with over 80 other 
international observers in the International Observation Mission (MOI) 
have already reported numerous irregularities at the polling places they 
are observing.  None of the Voting Centers being observed opened at 7 AM 
as required by law.  Many did not open until 8 AM or later.  The 
observers also report an alarming number of voting table staff that seem 
unclear on the procedure and their roles.  This resulted in many 
party-affiliated vigilantes taking on their work and distributing and 
preparing the electoral materials.  Multiple voting tables were also set 
up with their voting stations exposed to the table staff and public, 
denying citizens their legal right to vote in privacy.

/Multiple DUIs/
Observers at a Voting Center in the department of Chalatenango reported 
that before the Center opened, when table staff are allowed to vote, a 
woman was seen with two DUIs (Unique Identity Documents, photo ID 
required to vote).  Before voting, the DUIs of all table staff are 
collected and stored until the closing of the center to ensure they do 
not leave and vote somewhere else.  The woman working at the table chose 
to abstain from voting, but when asked for her DUI she removed two from 
her pocket and then quickly returned one of them.  Aside from the MOI 
observer and two European Union observers---who as observers cannot 
intervene in the process---no one else seemed to notice the second DUI.  
Another voter at this Center was also found to have two DUIs after 
attempting to vote at two voting tables and was arrested and removed 
from the center.

/Foreign Voters/
Observers in Chalatenango also received a report that four of the voting 
tables in the center had table staff that were Guatemalan citizens with 
fake DUIs.  A voter who was also a substitute to a member of the table 
staff was not allowed to vote after FMLN vigilantes identified him as a 
Honduran citizen with a fake DUI.

/stay tuned for more updates and check out the latest info at: 
http://cispes.org/09electionsblog//




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