Sister Cities
2009 Elections Observation Delegations
Please Join Us in Accompanying CRIPDES in Promoting Free and Fair Elections in El Salvador in March 2009
Elections Observation Delegation: March 10th-19st
To register, click here
Registration Deadline: February 10th, 2009
Many say that these are the most important elections in Salvadoran history
· We will meet with a number of civic and human rights organizations to learn about and document their experience of the electoral process.
· We will receive training as official elections observers.
· On election day we will observe at the polling locations that are at the highest risk for fraud.
· Afterward, we will document the results of our observation and publicize them in El Salvador and in the US.
Why is observation so important?
Salvadorans are ready for a change. The past decade of right-wing governing has ushered in the signing and ratification of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, privatization of many public services, and attacks on freedom of expression. Currently the presidential candidate for the opposition party holds a 15 point lead over the government party candidate.
However a democratic electoral process will be a struggle in El Salvador. In the 2004 elections, the government party brought people from neighboring Honduras and Guatemala to vote at the polls, a number of people arrived at the polls to find that someone had already voted in their name, and a number of US officials claimed that Salvadoran immigrants in the US would be deported should the left wing party win the elections.
Delegation Cost: $800 includes training, registration, transportation, housing, food, and translation. This cost does not include airfare. Delegations are accompanied at all times by a trained coordinator.
(Have questions before you register? Don’t hesitate to contact us.)
Read up on why these elections are so important: www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org, http://freeandfairelections.wordpress.com/
