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FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2019 
TAGS: PGOV KPLS KDEM ES
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR ELECTION UPDATE: JANUARY 16 
 
Classified By: The Ambassador, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: This is an update regarding the Salvadoran 
municipal and legislative elections scheduled for January 18, 
and the presidential elections scheduled for March 15.  This 
report includes criticism of (pro-U.S., center-right) 
Nationalist Republican Alliance Party (ARENA) campaign by 
influential party members, observations by the European 
Mission Chief, controversy regarding a new plan to verify the 
voter identification, OAS observations regarding the voter 
registry, and Salvadoran media coverage of a letter sent by 
U.S. Congressmen to Secretary Rice. 
 
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ARENA MEMBERS QUESTION CAMPAIGN STRATEGY 
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¶2. (U) The El Faro online newspaper published an interview 
January 13 with ARENA party founder and former Minister of 
Public Security Hugo Barrera.  In the interview, Barrera said 
that the ARENA,s poor standing is a consequence of poor 
strategy.  He said that people who are in charge have not 
been able to show Salvadorans the good things ARENA has done 
in the last 20 years.  Rene Figueroa, Minister of Public 
Security and Justice, publicly called for ARENA presidential 
candidate Rodrigo Avila to review his political strategy 
after the January 18 municipal and legislative elections. 
 
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EU OBSERVER MISSION DESCRIBES CAMPAIGN AS NORMAL 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. (U) Luis Yanez Barnuevo, Chief of the European Union 
Observer Mission, described the Salvadoran electoral 
environment as normal in an interview published on January 
¶14.  He said the FMLN strategy to spread rumors and the ARENA 
strategy to file complaints regarding illegal armed groups as 
typical. 
 
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FMLN PLAN TO VERIFY IDS 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) The FMLN announced January 15 a plan to distribute 
ultraviolet light scanners to verify the authenticity of 
voters, Unique Identification Documents (DUIs).  Roberto 
Lorenanza, an FMLN representative, said that the electoral 
code establishes that the political parties have the right to 
watch the elections; therefore, the FMLN is entitled to use 
the necessary technology.  However, Juan Jose Guerrero, Chief 
of the National Registry of Natural Persons (RNPN), said that 
his institution is the only one that has the authority to 
validate DUIs.  In addition, Mario Salamanca, the Supreme 
Court Representative at the Electoral Tribunal (TSE), said 
that the FMLN plan is inadmissible. 
 
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OAS CONFIDENT IN ELECTORAL ROLLS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Gustavo Fernandez Saavedra (Bolivian), head of the 
OAS Electoral Observation Mission in El Salvador, was quoted 
in local press assuring voters that the electoral list of 
voters and the voter registry coincide.  He added the OAS 
will give more details about the electoral process after 
January 18. 
 
¶6. (C) Fernandez Saavedra, head of the OAS Electoral 
Observation Mission in El Salvador, accompanied by Deputy 
Head of Mission Betilde Munoz-Pogossian, told DCM and 
PolCouns January 15 he viewed the situation on the eve of 
municipal and legislative elections as calm, a view he said 
was shared by the EU observer mission.  He said the voter 
registry continued to be a concern, noting that large numbers 
of deceased voters continued to appear on the list, but this 
would have to be resolved after March 15 presidential 
elections.  He said the TSE's data transmission plans to 
accelerate reporting election results could cause problems, 
but the system was not essential to an accurate vote count, 
something the OAS Mission will emphasize in its statements. 
He also said that he viewed the most newsworthy cases of 
electoral violence as more criminally based than political. 
Fernandez said the OAS would have 82 observers from 19 
countries in El Salvador for January 18 elections.  He said 
they anticipated issuing three written press releases on 
election day and, if a serious statement was warranted, that 
would be issued from Washington. 
 
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MEDIA REPORTS ON LETTER TO SECRETARY RICE 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Salvadoran media reported on January 16 on a letter 
dated December 16 from U.S. Congressmen to Secretary of State 
regarding the Salvadoran elections.  The letter urged the 
Secretary to support the Salvadoran government and refute 
rumors of fraud. 
GLAZER