EL SALVADOR: El Salvador's tight presidential run-off has two candidates claiming victory and some calling "foul"

Record ID: 872803

  • Title: EL SALVADOR: El Salvador's tight presidential run-off has two candidates claiming victory and some calling "foul"
  • Date: 10th March 2014
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS WITH HEADLINES THAT READ: "WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL WINNER"
  • Embargoed: 25th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: El Salvador
  • City:
  • Country: El Salvador
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA4ADK47J3R2W2XRNZLCE33MU8
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A former Marxist guerrilla leader and his right-wing rival both claimed victory in El Salvador's presidential election after results showed just a tiny margin between the two.
    Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), which as a rebel group fought a string of U.S.-backed governments in the 1980-92 civil war, won 50.11 percent support in Sunday's election, preliminary results showed.
    Challenger Norman Quijano, the 67-year-old former mayor of San Salvador and candidate of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) party, had 49.89 percent support. He claimed fraud and insisted he was the real winner.
    Just 6,634 votes separated them, raising the prospect of legal challenges to the result and a weak mandate for the eventual winner.
    Citizens have showed a deep division during this election round. Resident Stephen Garcia said that although the results are close, the election was fair.

    "No, there is no fraud. That is a lie because during his (Sanchez Ceren's) campaign, the dirtiest thing he mentioned during 16 months was Venezuela. He started talking about Venezuela and what does Venezuela have to do with us? Nothing. The only thing I'm saying is that Front (Farabundo Marti Liberation Front) won. Tightly, but it won," Garcia said.
    Fruit seller Antonio Martinez accused the election tribunal of corruption and hinted at foul play.

    "Because the man (The president of El Salvador's Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenio Chicas) said he would not pass on all results until 10pm and why did it close at 8pm? That's because he was waiting for his check. Yes and they all have no shame. There was fraud, whatever people say."
    The election authority earlier said Sanchez Ceren's lead was indisputable but did not formally declare him the winner, saying it needed to review challenges to some ballots and was waiting for a definitive vote count.
    Sanchez Ceren claimed victory after the preliminary results showed him winning and he promised to govern for workers and business leaders alike.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register