This is important, as El Salvador is experimenting with the following electoral reforms. While GANA has described itself as a conservative, right-of-center party, it formed a coalition with the left-of-center FLMN during the tenure of the previous president, Mauricio Funes.Įl Salvador’s TSE has invited international and domestic elections observers, including the Organization of American States. GANA, being the third major political force with roughly five percent favorability, is significant because it can play the role of a power-broker. The latest polls indicate that in the capital city of San Salvador, where the overwhelming majority of registered voters reside, ARENA leads in preferences for the legislative assembly and municipal council with 32 percent favorability, while the FMLN has 30 percent-a trend that has virtually remained unchanged since the last mid-term and presidential elections.įor the PARLACEN, ARENA has 33 percent favorability, while the FMLN holds 30 percent. Vice President Joe Biden announced in January 2015 that the White House would identify $1 billion in its FY 2016 budget request to support this effort.Īccording to the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Tribunal, TSE) there are ten parties registered for the mid-term elections: Partly in response, the countries of the Northern Triangle announced their Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle November 2014, aimed at increasing commerce, improving educational opportunities, boosting citizen security and strengthening institutions. So far, President Sánchez Cerén has opposed new negotiations, claiming that the process allowed gangs to become stronger.Īlong with neighboring Honduras and Guatemala, El Salvador contributed to a large number of unaccompanied migrant minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, ostensibly to escape violence and scarce employment opportunities. Gang leaders have reportedly urged the government to re-engage in talks. The Policía Nacional Civil (National Civil Police) claims this has led to a 57 percent increase in homicides over 2013 and a return to the world’s fourth-highest murder rate. According to the Central Bank of El Salvador, the country received $4.2172 billion in remittances, an increase of 6.7 percent over the previous year, $263.6 million more than 2013, exceeding the $4 billion mark for the first time.ĭespite modest economic growth, El Salvador has struggled with several crises, the first of which has been the unraveling of a truce between the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and rival gang Barrio 18. According to the World Bank, the gross domestic product rate increased from 1.7 percent in 2013 to two percent in 2014, and foreign direct investment increased from $137 million in 2013 to $140 million in 2014. Sánchez Cerén and Quijano emerged as finalists in the runoff held March 9, in which Sánchez Cerén narrowly won with 50.1 percent of the vote.ĭuring the past year, El Salvador’s economy has begun to expand after a period of stagnation. The 2014 national election, with a turnout of 64 percent of registered voters, marked the second time since the end of El Salvador’s 12-year civil war that voters elected an FMLN candidate to the presidency, where Vice-President Salvador Sánchez Cerén of FLMN ran against San Salvador Mayor Norman Quijano of ARENA and former President Antonio Saca of GANA, which also had support from the PCN and PDC. However, after five ARENA lawmakers left the party, the FMLN took over as the largest legislative bloc in November 2012. Partido Cambio Democrático (Democratic Change Party, CD) one.Īt the municipal level, ARENA captured 116 mayorships and the FMLN 95 the PCN, PDC, and GANA shared the remaining 51.Partido Demócrata Cristiano (Christian Democratic Party, PDC) one.Partido de Concertación Nacional (National Conciliation Party, PCN) seven.Gran Alianza por la Unidad Nacional (Grand Alliance for National Unity, GANA) 11.In the National Legislative Assembly the results were: While the FMLN is seeking to expand gains in legislative and local support, the right-of-center opposition party, Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (National Republican Alliance, ARENA), is looking to regain assembly seats and boost mayorships to re-energize its base following defeats at the presidential level.Įl Salvador held mid-term elections in March 2012, with a turnout of 51 percent of registered voters. Washington, DC – March 1, 2015, Salvadorans will vote to elect 84 representatives to the Legislative Assembly, 262 mayors and 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), a year after the election of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén of the left-of-center Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, FMLN) party.
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