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From: berman@ihuxm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: free elections, again
Message-ID: <522@ihuxm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Sep-83 16:56:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxm.522
Posted: Fri Sep  9 16:56:31 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Sep-83 20:43:44 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 42



Surprising that someone would raise the old wash about El Salvador's
"free elections." But for those who gobbled up the well-orchestrated
TV news shots of long lines at the polling-places, how's about
a few does of some harsh realities about those "free" elections:

1) Voting was mandatory and stamped on your ID. If you didn't have
that stamp, you're in trouble next time you pass an army checkpoint,
or your local right-wing death squad comes calling.

2) The rebels were ambiguous on their stance towards the
elections.  Knowing the harsh reality of #1, and knowing they
do not have the ability to protect the population except in
certain provinces, they made no serious attempt to disrupt
voting.

3) voting was performed by placing ballots into transparent 
ballot boxes.

4) The numbers on the ballots were not removed prior to the placement
 of the ballots in the boxes. Thus votes were directly traceable
 using registration forms.


See a recent Mother Jones for a full account of this great exercise
in western democracy.

-------------------------------------------

Just prior to independence Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) made a similar last gasp
effort to show its devotion to western civilization by holding
similar elections. The rebels (as in El Salvador) did not participate.
Bishop Muzerewa, the candidate backed by the ruling elite won hands down.
Very soon afterwards there was a Peace Settlement and U.N.-observed
elections.  The rebels won over 80% in a complete reversal of the
electoral outcome.   The moral:  don't be fooled by staged elections
run by a regime that terrorizes its population.
El Salvador is no exception.

Andy Berman