THE EL SALVADOR ELECTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R001201610034-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2008
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: April 16, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Approved For Release 2008/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201610034-4
Approved For Release 2008/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201610034-4
 Approved For
Release 2008/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201610034-4
PETE WILSON
REPORTS TO CALIFORNIANS
"THE EL SALVADOR ELECTIONS"
In America, we take for granted our right to vote. Not
so in El Salvador, where I recently witnessed that coun-
try's latest exercise in democracy. Their nation is plagued
by poverty and war, yet the Salvadorans are advancing
their fledging democracy amid the chaos, voting in their
first free and open presidential election.
As a member of the U.S. observation team appointed
by President Reagan for the March 25th Salvadoran elec-
tions, I watched and questioned the voters, and I was en-
couraged by what I saw and heard.
I spoke with many voters, and I came away impressed
by the Salvadoran people's hunger for democracy. Some
dodged guerilla gunfire to get to the polls, and many (in-
cluding our observation team) endured the power blackouts
caused by guerilla attacks. Voters stood in lines for hours
in the midday heat to cast ballots, because the govern-
ment's best-laid plans to thwart electoral fraud went awry.
Some voters had to traipse from one polling place to
another in search of a voter list with their names.
Yet 70 percent of the Salvadorans voted, in spite of
the intimidation and the confusion. The U.S. observers
were unanimous in our reaction to the election, and I felt
Rep. Jim Wright (D-Tex.), the House Majority Leader,
summed it up for the rest'of us when he pledged to do
"whatever is necessary to provide the means for the peo-
ple of El Salvador to preserve a democratic society."
There is indeed bipartisan support for continued U.S.
aid to El Salvador, but some critics have cynically charged
that the turnout in the presidential election wasn't in-
dicative of the Salvadorans' commitment to democracy.
They say that voting is mandatory, and that fear of a fine
-- or even worse, of military reprisal -- for not voting
prompted the high turnout.
None of us on the observation team saw any evidence
that bears out such charges. To allege that the possibility
of an incidental fine would compel Salvadorans to brave
guerilla attacks to get to the polls is downright insulting
to a proud people. As to the charge that fear of the mil-
itary caused people to cast their ballots, the soldiers had
collectively decided to refrain from voting so that they
could better guard the polling places. The reasons the
soldiers gave us for giving up their right to vote were that
they believe in democracy and an apolitical military.
This is not to gloss over the very real presence in the
past of "death squads" linked to the military. We know
they existed and may yet exist, but those of us observing
the election found a military attitude overwhelmingly in
support of an open and free democratic process.
We can't compare El Salvador's democratic ex-
perience of two short years since the first elections for the
constituent assembly were held in March of 1982, to our
nation's 208 years of democracy. We are a rich nation, the
borders of which have not been invaded since the War of
1812. El Salvador is poverty-stricken and tired of war, yet
the free spirit of its people remains indomitable. America
should continue its support of the Salvadoran attempt at
democracy.
U.S.SCNATOR hrono There is indeed biparti-
san support for continued
PETE MOWN U.S. aid to El Salvador, but
"THE EL SALVADOR
ELECTIONS"
In America, we take for
granted our right to vote. Not
so in El Salvador, where I
recently witnessed that coun-
try's latest exercise in democ-
racy. Their nation is plagued
by poverty and war, yet the
Salvadorans are advancing
their fledging democracy amid
the chaos, voting in their first
free and open presidential
election.
As a member of the U.S.
observation team appointed
by President Reagan for the
March 25th Salvadoran elec-
tions, I watched and ques-
tioned the voters, and I was
encouraged by what I saw and
heard.
I spoke with many voters,
and I came away impressed by
the Salvadoran people's hun-
ger for democracy. Some
dodged guerilla gunfire to get
to the polls, and many (in-
cluding our observation team)
endured the power blackouts
caused by guerilla attacks.
Voters stood in lines for hours
in the midday heat to cast
ballots, because the govern-
ment's best-laid plans to
thwart electoral fraud went
awry. Some voters had to
traipse from one polling place
to another in search of a voter
list with their names.
Yet 70 percent of the Sal-
vadorans voted, in spite of the
intimidation and the confu-
sion. The U.S. observers were
unanimous in our reaction to
the election, and I felt Rep.
Jim Wright (D-Tex.), the
House Majority Leader,
summed it up for the rest of
us when he pledged to do
"whatever is necessary to pro-
vide the means for the people
of El Salvador to preserve a
democratic society."
some critics have cynically
charged that the turnout in the
presidential election wasn't in-
dicative of the Salvadorans'
commitment to democracy.
They say that voting is man-
datory, and that fear of a
fine -- or even worse, of mili-
tary reprisal -- for not voting
prompted the high turnout.
None of us on the obser-
vation team saw any evidence
that bears out such charges.
To allege that the possibility
of an incidental fine would
compel Salvadorans to brave
guerilla attacks to get to the
polls is downright insulting to
a proud people. As to the
charge that fear of the mil-
itary caused people to cast
their ballots, the soldiers had
collectively decided to refrain
from voting so that they could
better guard the polling places.
The reasons the soldiers gave
us for giving up their right to
vote were that they believe in
democracy and an apolitical
military.
This is not to gloss over
the very real presence in the
past of "death squads" linked
to the military. We know they
existed and may yet exist, but
those of us observing the elec-
tion found a military attitude
overwhelmingly in support of
an open and free democratic
process.
We can't compare El Sal-
vador's democratic experience
of two short years since the
first elections for the constitu-
ent assembly were held in
March of 1982, to our na-
tion's 208 years of democracy.
We are a rich nation, the bor-
ders of which have not been
invaded since the War of
1812. El Salvador is poverty-
stricken and tired of war, yet
the free spirit of its people re-
mains indomitable. America
should continue its support of
the Salvadoran attempt at
democracy.
ERcgittry
4LS`
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