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Election Date: March 12, 2006

At stake: Legislative Assembly

Background

The Central American country 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 Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) armed group to lay down their arms.

In 1980, José Napoleón Duarte became El Salvador's first civilian president in almost five decades. In 1989, a period of dominance by the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) began. The party has elected the last four heads of state: Alfredo Cristiani, Armando Calderón Sol, Francisco Flores and Antonio Saca.

Saca—a media businessman—won the March 2004 ballot with 57.73 per cent of the vote, defeating the FMLN's Schafik Handal.

Click here for El Salvador 2004 Presidential Election Tracker

Following El Salvador's civil war, several gangs or "maras" spawned in several parts of the country. The Mara Salvatrucha and the 18th Street Gang originated in California, where many Salvadoran refugees lived. The two warring factions are still battling in El Salvador.

In 2004, Saca introduced a crackdown on gang activity, which included the deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers to assist police officers in arresting mob leaders. El Salvador's prison population doubled over the past five years. Around 40 per cent of all incarcerated persons once belonged to street gangs.

2006 Legislative Assembly Election

While the presidential office has remained inaccessible for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the party has fared well in legislative contests. In the March 2003 election, the FMLN garnered 34 per cent of all cast ballots and elected 31 lawmakers to the Legislative Assembly. The conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) was second with 32 per cent and 27 legislators.

A voting intention poll conducted in December 2005 by Jabes/Harris Interactive showed ARENA with 37 per cent, followed by the FMLN with 16 per cent, the National Conciliation Party (PCN) with four per cent, and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) with three per cent.

On Jan. 24, 2006, FMLN leader Schafik Handal passed away in El Salvador. Handal was expected to lead the leftist political organization into the March legislative ballot.

A survey by Universidad Tecnológica conducted in late January suggested a tight race, with the FMLN in first place with 29.7 per cent, and ARENA with 28.6 per cent.

FMLN communications chief Sigfredo Reyes said the poll showed a clear tendency favouring his party, and added, "Our proposals are real solutions in the areas of employment, cost of life and security, which are now being heard and analyzed by the voters."

On Feb. 18, new FMLN leader Salvador Sánchez Cerén said a trend is developing in Latin America, adding, "The right is aware of the changes that are taking place to defeat neo-liberalism, and this is all happening through participatory democracy."

Polls conducted in February yielded mixed results. A survey by Universidad Tecnológica put the FMLN ahead with 40.2 per cent, with ARENA in second place with 38.1 per cent. Conversely, a study by CID-Gallup gave ARENA a 14-point lead over the FMLN.

On Feb. 19 in Guaymango, Saca urged voters to "send me more deputies that will not hinder" the government. The president added that FMLN lawmakers have repeatedly "boycotted the budget" and are not allowing him to go ahead with his reform plans.

On Mar. 1, the CAFTA came into force in El Salvador.

Voting took place on Mar. 12. Preliminary results with 62.76 per cent of the vote tallied suggest a close race, with the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in first place with 39.43 per cent, followed by the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) with 39.12 per cent.

Final results were released on Mar. 18. ARENA secured 34 seats, followed by the FMLN with 32, the PCN with 10, the PDC with six, and Democratic Change (CD) with two. Voter turnout was tabled at 52.56 per cent.

On Mar. 19, Saca urged all political factions to "work together" and "put the election behind us."

On Mar. 21, Saca proposed "holding one election every five years," adding, "We can't have ballots that wear down, cost money and throw the country into uncertainty every 20 months." The president has proposed having the presidential and legislative elections on the same date, which would require a constitutional amendment to extend the terms of lawmakers.

Political Players

President: Antonio Saca - ARENA
Vice-president: Ana Vilma de Escobar - ARENA

The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Asamblea Legislativa (Legislative Assembly) has 84 members, elected to three-year terms; 64 members are elected in multi-seat constituencies and 20 by proportional representation.

Results of Last Election:

President - Mar. 21, 2004

Legislative Assembly - Mar. 12, 2006

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