Electoral Observers in Action!

U.S. International Electoral Observers in San Salvador

International Electoral Observers have noted several irregularities across the country. For example, in the morning of Sunday March 15, 2009 a poll worker at the Francisco Morazan Education Center in San Salvador working in the electoral table 580 opened the voting card of an individual who was about to cast her vote, then proceeded to check who that person was voting for and announced: “it’s Arena, so it’s a good vote”. Then the poll worker introduced the electoral card into the voting box.

 

Later on in the afternoon, at the same voting center, 12 individuals wearing the ARENA shirt were trying to cast their vote for a second time.  Electoral observers overheard their conversation stating that they had already voted in the city of Chalchuapa, in the province of Santa Ana. Once these 12 individuals got in line to vote for their second time, electoral observers made sure their identification cards were processed to check their voting status. In fact, they were trying to vote twice. A police officer immediately arrested the 12 individuals.

Similarly, international observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) also confirmed that foreigners were trying to cast votes today. Gustavo Fernández, Chief of Mission of the OAS observation team, stated that they have found facts confirming that various foreigners have been trying to vote in places such as Torola in Morazán  as well as San Cayetano and Tepetitán in San Vicente.

##END##

 

 

Company with history of electoral sabotage is working on the Salvadoran Electoral Process

International Electoral Observers report that Venezuelans opposing President Hugo Chávez have been in the Salvadoran territory and are working directly with authorities of the Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (known by the acronym in Spanish TSE) and the ARENA party. These Venezuelans have been camouflaged as representatives of Salvadoran civic organizations and electoral technicians.

On Friday March 13 between 1pm and 5pm, during an event with the Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Venezuelan citizen Gustavo Reyes Zumeta was responsible for explaining the broadcasting process of election results for the Presidential electoral process. The official program of the Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal states the following:  

Electoral technological presentation for chiefs of missions and official guests of the TSE by the company UNIVERSAL IDENTIFICATION SOLUTION on the broadcast of electoral results

There is no explanation on how and why the aforementioned company was selected for such a crucial role of broadcasting the electoral results for this Presidential Election. This relationship between the TSE and Venezuelans with a history of sabotaging elections alerts us on the potential deficiencies of electoral results. 

Furthermore, it is important to note that Mr. Gustavo Reyes Zumeta was directly involved in the sabotage of the megaelection that was supposed to take place in Venezuela in the year 2000.   

 

More information find: http://ofamerica.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/conflicting-rumors-from-el-salvadors-electoral-tribunal/

###END##

 

 

Unidentified people found; International observers harassed

 This report summarizes the events at Via Olimpica sport center in the city of Mejicanos, El Salvador, as seen by a team of international observers from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Germany. This incident happened on Saturday March 14, 2009 at 10:30pm.

Three teams of international observers entered a compound where community members alleged that there were foreign nationals being prepared to vote in the Salvadoran elections for the ARENA Party. The suspected foreign nationals were being protected by ARENA Party militants that insulted and used intimidation tactics to deter over 20 international observers from entering the compound.  

 

After several hours of intense negotiations in the mist of mounting crowds from the residents of Mejicanos and a fully armed contingent of UMO (Salvadoran riot police), the ARENA Party members allowed five international observers to enter the building. The observers were escorted into a large quarter of the compound where several hundred unidentified individuals were sleeping inside. The observers from the aforementioned countries noted:

• There were hundreds of people inside the compound and very few had I.Ds, therefore it was almost impossible to prove that they were Salvadoran citizens or foreign nationals.
• ARENA members argued that the people sleeping inside of the compound did not have DUIs because they were being accredited the next morning to work at nearby voting centers. Nonetheless, the accreditation process to work at voting centers has been over since Friday, March 13.
• When people inside the compound were questioned by observers where they were from most gave us a puzzled look, would ask others, “where do we live?” or would just say Mejicanos. It was awkward that these “Salvadoran citizens” (could not confirm their identity) who supposedly live a few blocks away from this compound were sleeping over night for “accreditation purposes”.
• ARENA members used intimidation, physical force, and threats against an international observer.
• Several dozen individuals in the compound were adolescent minors.
• One person admitted to a Salvadoran official that she was a foreign national.
• Observers note that an ARENA member named Araceli Artega admitted having a bag full of DUIs (Salvadoran IDs), arguing that they were for accreditation purposes. Again the accreditation process was finalized Friday, March 13.
• Observers also witnessed several dozen individuals making a rapid exit from the compound before they could enter it.
• We also observed dozens of buses in the backside of the compound

###END###