EL SALVADOR

SCHAFIK HANDAL, El Salvador Presidential Candidate, September 15, 2003
CZIKOWSKY: How fair do you believe these elections will be? Will there be international observers monitoring the elections? If so, on what would you recommend these monitors guard against?
HANDAL: I have always thought that international observers can’t guarantee very much or observe very much. So, I believe there should be international observation from the very moment the electoral process is begun.
What percentage of Salvadorans goes to vote depends on whether they will be able to vote near where they live. But as Salvadorans know, this opinion is being rejected by representatives of ARENA and other parties.
So international observation should start watching now the preparations that are being made for the elections.