El Salvadorians on Sunday go to the polls to choose a new President.
As correspondent
James Blears reports, the economy and a failing truce between street gangs are key
issues.
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More than
20,000 Police are overseeing the voting process, while more than 4,000 national and
international observers including delegations from the Organization of American States-
the OAS, and the European Union are in El Salvador to insure that fair play is done. The
main Candidates are: Salvador Sanchez who's the Vice President of the ruling left
wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, and Norman Quijano, the former Mayor
of the Capitol San Salvador, and the Candidate of the right of center National Republican
Alliance known as Arena. Another key Candidate is former President Antonio Saca of
the National Conciliation Party. If there is not outright winner with 50 percent
or more of the vote in this first round, there will be a second round runoff on March
9th, between the two who've gained the most votes. A so called truce between the
country's ultra violent main street gangs appears to be crumbling and the rate of
killings is again increasing in El Salvador, which already has a high murder rate.
Poverty, the economy and education are also issues of concern.