FMLN victory not yet official

The process under El Salvador's electoral code continues.    Before El Salvador's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) can ratify Salvador Sanchez Ceren's election as El Salvador's next president, it must address several timely filed petitions from ARENA to set aside the election results.

According to La Prensa Grafica, the petitions include:

  •    A petition to set aside the election because there was no vote by vote recount and no review of the "null" and disputed votes.
  •   A petition to set aside the election because the FMLN violated a TSE order and declared itself the victor prior to results being certified by the TSE  (of course so did ARENA)
  •   A petition to set aside the election for illegal campaigning by president Mauricio Funes and ALBA Petroleum in the last days before the election
  •   A petition to set aside the election because two magistrates of the TSE have not acted impartially.


The parties have until tomorrow to submit any and all proof and arguments to the TSE for its consideration.   The TSE will meet to resolve the petitions on Sunday and either set aside the election or certify the FMLN's victory on Monday.

It is also possible for ARENA to now submit a petition challenging the the "final scrutiny."  The challenge must be submitted by the end of today.

Yesterday, ARENA also submitted to the Attorney General's office alleged proof of electoral fraud.


Comments

Greg said…
This is democracy in action -

Reminds me of the "hanging chads" controversy between George Bush and Al Gore.

Far better than bullets and machetes.
Carlos X. said…
Hear, hear.
Anonymous said…
Reminds me more of Felipe Calderón's alleged election here in Mexico in 2006. The exact same issues were raised by the left... only to be set aside as irrelevant by the establishment (and reported as "divisive" by the foreign media). With the shoe on the other foot, I expect "mainstream media" will give the electoral complaints much more credit than they were given here.
Kevin said…
Thanks for your continuing coverage of the election. It's been really helpful to have all of this in one place.

Personally, I think the scare tactics on Venezuela were important, but I hope the FMLN won't allow this analysis to excuse them from looking closely at how they ran their campaign (and how they have governed).