me ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 7 March 1999
(next to be held NA March 2004)

election results: Francisco FLORES Perez elected president; percent
of vote - Francisco FLORES (ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%,
Ruben ZAMORA (CDU) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5%

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea
Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - ARENA 36.1%, FMLN
35.14%, PCN 8.76%, PDC 7.08%, CD 5.32%, PAN 3.75%, USC 1.47%, PLD
1.29%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 31, PCN 14, PDC 5, CD 3, PAN
1, independent 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected
by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDC
[Rene AGUILUZ]; Democratic Convergence or CD (includes PSD, MNR,
MPSC) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Democratic Party or PD
[Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN
[Fabio CASTILLO]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo
SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo Rogelio
SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN
[Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA
[Walter ARAUJO]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger
of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU)
[Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders: labor organizations -
Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the
Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or
FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS;
National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of
El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant
Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union
of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations -
National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran
Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial
Association or ASI

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIN