Officials ignore measures to distance themselves at the start of the election campaign | News from El Salvador

While Health Minister Francisco Alabí advised the population not to be on the lookout during the pandemic, the GANA and New Ideas parties began their campaign for delegates without avoiding the crowds.

Deputy candidates for the 84 seats of the Legislative Assembly and for the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) this Sunday the election campaign has officially started for the elections of February 28, 2021.

According to Article 81 of the Constitution, from December 27, 2020, the election propaganda of candidacies for deputies to the Parlacen and the Legislative Assembly will be legal. This period ends on February 24, 2021 (art. 175 electoral law) ”, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) reported via its account on the social network twitter.

SEE: Alternate candidates can request the vote beginning December 27

TSE chairman Dora Esmeralda de Barahona spoke about the start of the campaign last Wednesday and said candidates should consider the recommendations already established when converting and avoid crowds.

“They are recommendations to be followed in harmony with what the Ministry of Health has established, such as keeping concentrations in open spaces, regarding the visits candidates will make to the different municipalities, distance, use of masks, alcohol gel etc. ”, warned the president of the college.

Despite the recommendations of the TSE, Minsal himself and even the risk of contracting the virus, the GANA and New Ideas parties, which will compete in the next parliamentary and municipal elections on February 28, have taken massive political action to end the campaign. start. .

The first was GANA, which hosted a campaign launch event at the party’s national headquarters from 10 a.m. According to publications on their social networks at that event, social distance was not respected as a preventive measure. COVID-19.

During the event, Deputy Guillermo Gallegos reiterated the party’s support for the government. “Today GANA is a strong, big party ushering in an era in the next election. We will continue to support President of the Republic Nayib Bukele in the next term, ”he said.

SEE ALSO: These are the positions that political parties will take in the vote for the 2021 elections

GANA’s president, Nelson Guardado, for his part, said he was proud to lead the said party. “We have 10 delegates in the General Assembly and those who stand for re-election will all be victorious,” he said.
Likewise, the New Ideas Party called on its members to focus on the different departments and do what they called a “cyan caravan,” where there was also an agglomeration.

In this regard, the ARENA party did not hold the traditional opening event of the campaign in Izalco as in previous years; however, on Sunday morning, some party members attended mass at a church in Sonsonate.

“Hand in hand with God, we started this election process. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to fill the streets of Izalco with the colors of peace, progress and freedom, as was our tradition historically, but we did attend a mass at the Dolores Church, ”the ARENA- feast in its official count.

The FMLN announced that the start of the campaign would coincide with the XXXIX National Convention, which was virtual and started at 8:00 am.

“We agree to the decision to win, and to at least keep the number of delegates we have now and we aim to grow some more, but we are looking for the Legislative Assembly to maintain its balance of plurality, as she has done so far. We hope to continue to have a real impact on the country’s decisions, that is the drive to transform El Salvador, ”said deputy Nidia Díaz.

Despite the fact that the election campaign started legally on Sunday, several candidates had already carried out conversion activities beforehand, and in recent weeks billboards, posters and billboards with pictures of the candidates of various political parties have already been visible in the streets of the country.

READ ALSO: Judge Guillermo Wellman: “In social networks you can convert a campaign”

Even the Supreme Electoral Tribunal studied several instances of campaigns on social networks.
According to the TSE calendar, the election campaign for mayors will start in a month, that is, on January 27. On the 2021 electoral roll, 5,389,017 Salvadorans will be eligible to vote.