| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Asamblea legislativa / Legislative Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
18 January 2009 |
| Timing and scope of renewal |
Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 1 September 2008, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) officially set the date for parliamentary elections for 18 January 2009.
In the previous parliamentary elections held in March 2006, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) came in first, winning 34 seats. ARENA's traditional coalition partner, the National Conciliation Party (PCN), lost six seats, winning a total of ten. The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) obtained 32 seats. The Christian Democratic Party (PDC) took six, while the Democratic Change (CD) party won two seats. The Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR), formed by FMLN dissidents in 2005, failed to win parliamentary representation.
In October 2005, President Antonio Saca (ARENA) launched the Family Solidarity Network programme, which provides a monthly allowance of the equivalent of between US$ 15 and 20 per child to each family living in extreme poverty. However, the recent rise in food prices further affected the poor, who make up 42 per cent of the country's 6.5 million inhabitants.
The 2009 parliamentary elections were held two months ahead of presidential elections, which take place every five years. The FMLN criticized the TSE for starting the electoral process without taking into account the outcome of the 2007 census. The FMLN insisted that more seats should be allocated to the urban areas of San Salvador, where is reportedly strong support. 178 candidates including 36 women were vying for seats in the Legislative Assembly. Once again, there was a duel between the FMLN and ARENA, which had ruled the country since 1989. Both parties' leaders were also presidential candidates.
Mr. Mauricio Funes, once a popular journalist, led the FMLN, a former armed group that joined the political process in the early 1990s. He underscored that the FMLN was no longer a radical Marxist organization. Mr. Funes vowed to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, which had been severed following the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The FMLN leader promised to address the situation of undocumented Salvadorians in the United States, and to re-establish the Institute for Regulating Supplies (IRA, which used to provide staples at a low cost). Mr. Funes initially called for a coalition with ARENA, the CD and the FDR, an idea which was vehemently rejected by outgoing President Saca (ARENA).
The former National Police chief, Mr. Rodrigo Ávila, led ARENA to the 2009 elections. He called for voters' continuous support for the party in order to defend freedom and protect the people's dignity. He pledged to work closely with the United States and seek more temporary work permits for Salvadorians in the United States and Canada. ARENA also said it would no longer promote radical neo-liberal economic policies.
The PCN was led by Mr. Tomás Chévez, a pastor in the influential ELIM Christian church. The PCN promised to re-establish a "genuinely constitutional State" through "proper law enforcement".
Pre-election polls put the FMLN in the lead. The local media reported that many people wanted change after two decades of ARENA rule, which had failed to deal with poverty and crime.
53.58 per cent of the 4.2 million registered voters turned out at the polls. Voting took place without incident, except for the delayed opening of some polling stations.
The Organization of American States observer mission said that no major problems had been reported. The European Union, which deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the first time to El Salvador, said that the elections had taken place in a peaceful and orderly manner. It nevertheless noted that the TSE failed to sanction some important violations of the Election Code, especially regarding the extremely long pre-campaign.
The final results gave the FMLN 35 seats, three more than ARENA. The PCN took eleven, followed by the PDC and the CD, which respectively won five and one seat.
The newly elected Legislative Assembly held its first session on 1 May. The following day, it elected Mr. Ciro Cruz Zepeda (PCN) as its new Speaker with the support of ARENA, the PCN and the PDC. Members of the FMLN, which had proposed a rotation of the presidency, and the CD abstained from voting.
In the presidential elections held on 15 March, Mr. Funes (FMLN) was elected as the new President. He was sworn in on 1 June. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 18 January 2009 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
4'226'479
2'264'567 (53.58%)
48'978
2'215'589 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% of votes |
|
|
| Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Republican Alliance (ARENA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Conciliation Party (PCN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Democratic Party (PDC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Change (CD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total of seats
|
Gain/Loss |
Number of women |
|
|
| Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) |
35
|
3 |
11 |
|
|
| National Republican Alliance (ARENA) |
32
|
-2 |
4 |
|
|
| National Conciliation Party (PCN) |
11
|
1 |
0 |
|
|
| Christian Democratic Party (PDC) |
5
|
-1 |
1 |
|
|
| Democratic Change (CD) |
1
|
-1 |
0 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
68
16
19.05%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- http://www.tse.gob.sv
- Legislative Assembly (05.02.2009) |
|
