War-ravaged Salvador goes to the polls

Press, 29 March 1982, Page 8

War-ravaged Salvador goes to the polls

NZPA-Reuter San Salvador Under the shadow of threatened guerrilla action and against a historic background of chronic election fraud, El Salvador is voting today in what Government supporters say is the first free poll in the country's history. But’ Leftist guerrillas, who have condemned the election as a farce, gave a reminder at the week-end that they would continue their campaign to overthrow the Government, whatever the result. They fired on a convoy of heavily guarded petrol tankers heading to the east of the country where fuel supplies are already low because of attacks along the main east-

west highway. San Salvador was quiet but tense yesterday in anticipation of possible violence today. The guerrillas have struck almost every day this week against Government targets and the transport system, although there have been no casualties.

The polls opened at 1 a.m. today (N.Z. time), and the result of the election, in which the centrist Christian Democrats and five Rightwing parties are contesting 60 constituent assembly seats, should be known later today. The present civilian-mili-tary Government and its American allies hope that the election will be the first step in ending a two-year

civil war in which 30,000 people have died. Leftists say the poll is a sham aimed at retaining power in the hands of the land-owning elite who have ruled El Salvador since it was made independent from Spain 150 years ago. The turn-out will . be viewed with interest. A low poll could boost guerrilla claims while a big show of voting strength could dishearten them, diplomats sav.

In the Netherlands the four Dutch newsmen killed in El Salvador last week were cremated at the week-end after a memorial service attended by about 1000 people. An estimated 23,000 people marched through downtown

Washington yesterday to a park across the street from the White House in protest against American policy in El Salvador.

It was the biggest protest against American foreign policy since the Vietnam w’ar.’ when some demonstrations drew more than 100,000 people. The demonstrators carried signs urging the United States to end its involvement in El Salvador and comparing El Salvador to Vietnam.

Organisers of the protest said there were thousands more than the official estimate of 23,000, given by the United States park police, who said the demonstration was peaceful. No arrests were reported.