2012 Salvadoran legislative and local elections

Legislative and local elections were held in El Salvador on 11 March 2012 to choose 84 members of the legislative assembly and 262 mayors. The election was carried out by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The opposition Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) narrowly defeated the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) and its ally Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA).

Background Following the 2009 presidential election, the first ever president from the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), Mauricio Funes, was elected following the end of the Salvadoran civil war.

This election was seen as a test of Funes' government since it was the first election since he came to power. Prior to the election, the FMLN controlled the Legislative Assembly in alliance with Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA), dissidents from the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).

Parties In addition to ARENA, FMLN and GANA, six smaller parties fielded candidates. ARENA is led by Alfredo Cristiani, a former president during the civil war; FMLN is led by Medardo González, a former guerrilla chief; and GANA is led by former member of ARENA and president Elías Antonio Saca.

The National Conciliation Party and the Christian Democratic Party were both dissolved by a Supreme Court of Justice verdict in 2011. Technically, they would have been deregistered after their electoral setback in 2004 (less than 3%), but a 2005 decree saved them from being folded and allowed them to carry on. The Supreme Court ruled this decree to be unconstitutional and eventually disbanded the parties. However, both parties continued their political work and registered as the National Coalition and Party of Hope, respectively.

Campaign ARENA's campaign issues included a tough response to criminal and youth gangs, which was a concern with 14 murders a day, according to government figures. FMLN campaigned on promises of social programmes and job creation, where unemployment is 34% (though down from 40% before Funes took office).

In January, Funes appointed army General Francisco Salinas to replace Carlos Ascencio, who had resigned to join the foreign service, as head of the national police. For this, Funes was criticised by members of his own party who alleged that appointing someone from the military to head the police was in contravention of both the Constitution of El Salvador and the Chapultepec Peace Accords.

Opinion polls The Central American University carried out an opinion poll which showed the FMLN alliance was leading with 27.8%, but closely followed by ARENA with 26.4%. According to a CID-Gallup poll for the daily newspaper La Página, carried out from 16 to 19 February, ARENA had the support of 34% of voters, FMLN followed with 32% of the voters and GANA, a faction of ARENA, was third with 10% of the voters.

Results The voting stations were scheduled to open from 7:00 to 17:00, but many opened late. After voting, Funes called on the electorate to help him "guarantee that the changes that are taking place are strengthened, and not turned back."

Legislative election

Municipal elections The election also chose mayors of 262 towns and cities.

After the polls closed, but before the Supreme Electoral Tribunal had published the official results, ARENA candidate and the incumbent mayor Norman Quijano declared himself winner of the mayoral race in the capital, San Salvador. He beat the FMLN's Jorge Shafick Handal, the son of former FMLN leader Schafik Handal.

Of the 14 district capitals, ARENA won control of nine town halls, FMLN won control of three town halls, while GANA and the National Coalition each won control of one town hall.

By municipality DepartmentsMunicipalitiesMayorPartyMargin%San SalvadorSan Salvador**Norman Quijano*ARENA52,588Ciudad DelgadoFMLN/CD***347MejicanosARENA599SoyapangoARENA267CuscatancingoFMLN3,342San MarcosFMLN514IlopangoARENA668NejapaFMLN248ApopaARENA3,107San MartinARENA406PanchimalcoFMLN2,947AguilaresFMLN/CD***91TonacatepequeARENA2,495Santo TomásARENA1,81147.73%Santiago TexacuangosARENA1,029El PaisnalFMLN1,27960.43%GuazapaCN800AyutuxtepequeARENA416Rosario de MoraFMLN637Santa AnaSanta Ana**FMLN/CD***399ChalchuapaFMLN2,831MetapánCN2,101CoatepequeARENA992El CongoCN466TexistepequePES36136.69%Candelaria de la FronteraARENA4,208San Sebastián SalitrilloFMLN355Santa Rosa GuachipilínARENA91Santiago de la FronteraARENA905El PorvenirCN486MasahuatCN187San Antonio PajonalARENA37757.22%San MiguelSan Miguel**GANA7,307ChinamecaARENA971El TránsitoFMLN48638.07%Ciudad BarriosPES88335.5%ChirilaguaARENA29947.45%SesoriCN/PES***8San Rafael OrienteGANA26232.99%MoncaguaFMLN1,231LolotiqueFMLN13233.09%San JorgeFMLN394ChapeltiqueCD88542.69%San GerardoARENA849.92%CarolinaARENA40753.74%QuelepaFMLN36853.31%San Luis de la ReinaFMLN41352.09%Nuevo Edén de San JuanARENA12Nueva GuadalupeFMLN13835.31%UluazapaFMLN5149.86%ComacaránFMLN78369.3%San Antonio del MoscoARENA560La LibertadSanta Tecla**FMLN/CD***648QuezaltepequeARENA164Ciudad ArceFMLN/CD***16752.86%San Juan OpicoARENA1,163ColónARENA4,527La LibertadFMLN/PES***731Antiguo CuscatlánARENA9,66674.34%ComasaguaFMLN35642.14%San Pablo TacachicoFMLN285JayaqueARENA88756.53%HuizúcarARENA69053.45%TepecoyoGANA403TeotepequeARENA1,090ChiltiupánARENA1,37762.23%Nuevo CuscatlánNayib BukeleFMLN/CD***108TamaniqueARENA1,52052.18%SacacoyoARENA1,42259.87%San José VillanuevaCN42035.61%ZaragozaCN42TalniqueARENA978San MatíasARENA67250.94%JicalapaARENA1,175UsulutánUsulután**CN82JiquiliscoFMLN4,469BerlínCN267Santiago de MaríaCN553JucuapaFMLN510Santa Elena ·FMLN1,074JucuaránFMLN28239.64%San AgustínFMLN32953.75%OzatlánFMLN21050.37%EstanzuelasFMLN6039.38%Mercedes UmañaFMLN378AlegríaFMLN1,591Concepción BatresFMLN412San Francisco JavierFMLN76Puerto El TriunfoCD371TecapánFMLN3650.26%San DionisioARENA49243.76%EreguayquínARENA33952.35%Santa MaríaARENA747Nueva GranadaARENA43555.12%El Triunfo·ARENA54949.3%San BuenaventuraFMLN250CaliforniaARENA50770.45%SonsonateSonsonate**ARENA7,206IzalcoARENA597AcajutlaFMLN3,014ArmeniaARENA4,08263.96%NahuizalcoFMLN2,90141.85%JuayúaCN1,17127.76%San JuliánFMLN39437.17%SonzacateARENA765San Antonio del MonteCD679NahuilingoARENA565CuisnahuatFMLN3836.09%Santa Catarina MasahuatFMLN/CD***203CalucoCN74941.96%Santa Isabel IshuatánARENA818SalcoatitánPES12227.3%Santo Domingo de GuzmanCN108La UniónLa Unión**ARENA2,698Santa Rosa de LimaARENA217PasaquinaGANA48San AlejoARENA1,068AnamorósFMLN126El CarmenGANA51937.42%ConchaguaARENA14239.36%El SauceGANA2534.91%LisliqueARENA1,677YucuaiquínARENA188Nueva EspartaARENA17540.54%PolorósARENA306BolivarARENA77562.43%Concepción de Oriente ·ARENA40949.74%IntipucáARENA36946.69%San Jose las FuentesARENA100YayantiqueARENA63744.24%Meanguera del GolfoARENA22758.64%La PazZacatecoluca**FMLN5,084Santiago NonualcoGANA481San Juan NonualcoARENA295San Pedro MasahuatFMLN905OlocuiltaARENA1,920San Pedro NonualcoFMLN265San Francisco ChinamecaARENA18839.35%San Juan TalpaGANA590El RosarioFMLN419San Rafael ObrajueloARENA1,188Santa María OstumaARENA632San Luis TalpaGANA1,222San Antonio MasahuatARENA18439.87%San Miguel TepezontesCN60San Juan TepezontesCN3448.1%TapalhuacaFMLN29243.27%CuyultitánARENA4932.47%Paraíso de OsorioCN147.21%San EmigdioFMLN1235.67%JerusalénFMLN23756.56%Mercedes La CeibaGANA42871.01%San Luis La HerraduraFMLN1,521ChalatenangoChalatenango**ARENA439Nueva ConcepciónFMLN8141.17%La PalmaFMLN261TejutlaCN882La ReinaCN395ArcataoFMLN223San IgnacioARENA256Dulce Nombre de MaríaARENA4242.06%CitaláARENA1,03059.28%Agua CalienteARENA35238.2%Concepción QuezaltepequeFMLN22252.01%Nueva TrinidadFMLN36468.09%Las VueltasFMLN63086%ComalapaARENA45858.11%San RafaelARENA3927.53%Las FloresFMLN61188.25%Ojos de AguaARENA34841.02%Nombre de JesúsFMLN39257.96%PotonicoARENA1150.04%San Francisco MorazánARENA13439.22%Santa RitaARENA60662.21%La LagunaARENA168San Isidro LabradorFMLN15871.34%San Antonio de la CruzFMLN13055.34%El ParaísoARENA12437.45%San Miguel de MercedesCN80575.43%San Luis del CarmenFMLN14350.07%San José CancasqueFMLN4250.94%San Antonio Los RanchosFMLN30676.37%El CarrizalFMLN32959.53%San FernandoARENA6052.25%AzacualpaFMLN14258.15%San Francisco LempaFMLN2136.95%CuscatlánCojutepeque**ARENA3,079SuchitotoFMLN3,730San Pedro PerulapánFMLN3,33743.4%San José GuayabalARENA75152.88%TenancingoFMLN13344.4%San Rafael CedrosARENA291CandelariaCN1,745El CarmenARENA79949.98%Monte San JuanPES60534.51%San CristobalARENA398Santa Cruz MichapaCN14136.99%San Bartolomé PerulapíaFMLN146San RamonARENA4041.2%El RosarioARENA31544.9%Oratorio de ConcepciónCN13935.6%Santa Cruz AnalquitoGANA46461.41%AhuachapánAhuachapán**ARENA5,395AtiquizayaARENA1,049San Francisco MenéndezPES1,188TacubaARENA167Concepción de AtacoARENA1,22954.55%JujutlaARENA2,398GuaymangoFMLN1,793ApanecaARENA944San Pedro PuxtlaFMLN/CD***850.36%San LorenzoFMLN434TurínCN1,390El RefugioARENA49342.68%MorazánSan Francisco Gotera**ARENA3,21056.94%JocoroFMLN796CorintoARENA1,30554.08%SociedadFMLN450CacaoperaFMLN280GuatajiaguaARENA25934.09%El DivisaderoFMLN907JocoaitiqueARENA10852.06%OsicalaGANA436ChilangaARENA407MeangueraFMLN573TorolaFMLN30San SimonFMLN46142%Delicias de ConcepciónGANA2449.6%JoatecaGANA7850.38%ArambalaFMLN13340.09%LolotiquilloARENA41655.02%YamabalARENA6937.76%YoloaiquínARENA714San CarlosARENA46151.99%El RosarioGANA839.24%PerquínFMLN17841.59%SensembraARENA271GualococtiARENA19545.3%San FernandoGANA134San IsidroFMLN23750.94%San VicenteSan Vicente**ARENA6,386TecolucaFMLN1,025San SebastiánARENA1,21053.54%ApastepequeGANA1,356San Esteban CatarinaFMLN507San IldefonsoFMLN93Santa ClaraFMLN11952.28%San LorenzoFMLN371VerapazFMLN132GuadalupeCN/PES***4Santo DomingoCN/PES***7San Cayetano IstepequeARENA6949.28%TepetitánFMLN7440.46%CabañasSensuntepeque**ARENA5,394IlobascoARENA2,78048.35%VictoriaARENA722San IsidroARENA64142.71JutiapaARENA1,27563.74%TejutepequeARENA169DoloresARENA8450.44%CinqueraFMLN3949.45%GuacotectiCN28034.39%*Incumbent.**Department capitals.***Joint candidates.Totals262Source: Supreme Electoral Tribunal (pdf)

Reaction San Salvador's re-elected mayor Norman Quijano called the result "historic" and announced that the party was "going to turn the country around."

Analysis A strong showing for ARENA was read as a hindrance to Funes' implementation of his social programmes.El Salvador election: Arena party on course for win BBC News, 13 March 2012

The president and his FMLN administration are likely to be dependent on the support of GANA, which has already helped the government with passing fiscal reform bills during the last legislators' term. The Christian Science Monitor read the result as a "litmus test" for President Mauricio Funes before the next presidential election.

References