May 23, 2003

(CPOD) May 23, 2003 - The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)—a party assembled by former guerrilla leaders—is the top political choice in El Salvador, according to a poll by UTEC. 36 per cent of respondents say they will vote for the FMLN in the next presidential election. The conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), in power since 1989, is second with 25.84 per cent.

Respondents were also asked to name prospective presidential candidates of all political leanings. Television journalist Mauricio Funes was the leading liberal figure, while former San Salvador mayor Héctor Silva got the nod among centre-democrats. Former National Police director Mauricio Sandoval is the first choice among conservative voters.

El Salvador endured a 12-year civil war, which ended with a 1992 peace deal brokered by the United Nations (UN) that dismissed dozens of military officers and called on the FMLN to lay down their arms. 70,000 people died during the conflict, and an estimated 1 million Salvadorians left the country. The next presidential elections are slated for March 2004.

Polling Data

What party will you vote for in the upcoming presidential election?

Farabundo Marti Liberation Front (FMLN)	36.0%
Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA)	25.9%
None	16.3%
Don't know	10.6%

In all political factions, what personalities would you prefer as presidential candidates?

Liberal, Left
Mauricio Funes	62.22%
Schafik Handal	15.02%
Óscar Ortiz	9.7%
Centre, Democrat
Héctor Silva	67%
Rubén Zamora	14.17%
Rodolfo Parker	11.42%
Right, Conservative
Mauricio Sandoval	29.98%
Antonio Saca	26.51%
Armando Calderón	19.94%
Alfredo Cristiani	18.66%

Source: UTEC (Universidad Tecnológica)
Methodology: Interviews to 2,144 Salvadorian adults, conducted from May 16 to May 18, 2003. Margin of error is 2.14 per cent.

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