El Salvador with elections under the microscope

The election sparked interest due to alleged explanations of the illegality of standing for re-election of President Najib Bukele and a series of political moves moved from the Legislative Council, which is dominated by deputies linked to the president, and amended the rules. From the game only a year after visiting the polling stations.

Within this complex scenario, there are also skepticism from the opposition about transparency and the potential to generate massive fraud, according to CSO complaints.

Requested by some and rejected by others, there is now talk of a monitoring process, something like “providing” guarantees of legality, something that does not matter at this point in the game, since the dice seem to have been thrown, and there are many who assert this. Bukele will sweep away his opponents despite the fact that issues such as the state of the economy may affect him.

International observers will reach El Salvador and the places where the so-called diaspora will vote to certify suffrage through the process of verifying the El Salvadoran electoral process at the beginning of 2024.

More than five thousand local and international observers will participate in this process, who will testify to the transparency with which we will conduct this electoral process, said election judge Noel Orellana this week.

In June, his colleague Guillermo Wellman said that the existence of the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA), the Inter-American Federation of Electoral Organizations (Uniore), the discredited Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU).

There will be people “watching” how the process plays out, not only the national vote but also direct electronic voting for Salvadorans abroad.

Voting for Salvadorans will begin on January 6, 2024, with online electronic balloting for Salvadorans abroad who have a unique identity document (DUI) with an address abroad.

This right will be exercised for 30 consecutive days and will be available only to candidates for President, Vice President and 60 deputies in the Legislative Assembly.

Another date that will be the subject of observation will be February 4, 2024, the day residents within the state will be able to vote for candidates for President, Vice President and Representatives.

Another characteristic of these elections, in addition to monitoring, is that they will take place with the exception system in effect and for the first time electronic voting for Salvadorans abroad.

Everything indicates that this election will continue to attract national and international attention, but what is already being presented as an unquestionable reality is Bukele’s re-election, something that surveys and experts take for granted.

jha/lb