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International Elections Observation Mission: Day Three
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
By J.R. Claeys
We gathered this morning under a tent in an area bordered by iron fences and razor wire to meet observers from other participating nations. Security is tight in El Salvador with armed guards posted around us throughout the day.
The violence that will result from a close vote is not a matter of if, but when, according to many officals with the two parties. Already nearby we are seeing fights break out in the streets and shopping districts between activists of both parties. A lack of readily available guns appears to be the only reason the fights end in trips to the hospitals rather than morgues.
For seasoned observers and participants in the last election there was little new in our training sessions today. Some structural changes have been made due to only two parties participating. In January, several parties participated in the legislative elections creating a different set of challenges than this two-party setup.
While serving as an elections observer this Sunday, I will be watching a polling station and will report any irregularities to officials who have the authority to correct the problems. Observers have the right to be in the polling station and the authority to watch and record the actions of poll workers and voters during the vote. We will also take photos if necessary to prove fraudulent actions occurred.
Speaking of cameras, a new type of fraud is being reported today. It is being broadcast on radio that one party is willing to pay a sum of money to voters who vote for their party, then prove it by taking a picture of the ballot with their cell phone camera. This isn't likely to be true, given how few cell phone cameras are in the country, and the sum of money is ridiculously high, but is worth noting that fraud is expected and talked about daily in the media.
Irregularities and fraud have been a part of El Salvador's elections since 1972 and likely before that. The country has Voter I.D. and registration security like nothing I've ever seen. They take their elections very seriously. It is a far cry from Venezuela, where a tree mysteriously knocked out power throughout the entire country during the vote, darkening many polling stations. In El Salvador they have Voter I.D. cards that have the individual's photo on them. They also have that same photo printed next to the voter's name and I.D. number on the voter rolls. The only way to use a fake to vote appears to be through identity theft of a deceased person.
At the end of the day there are over 100 items to oversee and report on as an observer. It is a lengthy and comprehensive process. That lengthy process will begin at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday and end about 20 hours later, somewhere around midnight or so. We will observe the polling station preparation and setup, the actual vote, the counting of the ballots and the disassembly of the polling stations.
Tomorrow we will meet with the party leaders from FMLN and ARENA, the two parties participating in the election. In the afternoon we will prepare for the elections by meeting as a group and dividing up into our teams for each location. Some will be bussed to the border while I remain in San Salvador with my team.
UPDATE: We received a briefing on the security situation this evening and have established a plan to remain in safe zones after the results of the election are made public. Evacuation may be required if the unrest is not isolated. Some who know more of the El Salvadorian history and culture are not ruling out a coup attempt.
We also learned during this briefing that Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) officials have been giving contradictory information to poll workers and observers alike. We have also received conflicting information from poll workers in regards to rules and procedures. In 1994 the rules were much different than today, so accurate information is critical. It is even more important as allegations of fraud and disputed ballots are challenged by poll workers who are operating on different understandings of the rules.
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