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The
FMLN does not keep up the pace
The comments about the
performance of the FMLN could be true. Inside the left wing party, the
typical authoritarian attitude of some of its leaders threatens to cause a
new division. In fact, even if it is true that this is not the first time
that the internal division of the party becomes public, everything seems to
indicate that the differences between the leaders are taking more of a
radical turn. The events reported by the local news media about the disputes
between the members of the FMLN, that seem to be divided inside the City
Hall of San Salvador, could be an adequate parameter to measure the
differences between the followers of Handal and the followers of Ortiz.
The rumors include a series of comments about people who have been fired
from the municipal councils. Both sides of the FMLN are allegedly
eliminating those members that have become their adversaries. They are even
talking about bringing the internal differences to a court house. The ethics
tribunal of the party has expelled several of its followers because of what
is considered as an inappropriate behavior within the values of the
organization. There is no doubt that, just as it has been indicated by the
press, these expulsions look like part of a political revenge and as the
desire to control the party, a goal of the present directive board.
It seems that the easiest mechanism to control the opposition is to leave
them outside of the party. This is a curious way of understanding democracy
for a party that raves about being the leading democratic institution of the
country.
Since March, the storm has become stronger inside the FMLN. The open fight
between its leaders has not only kept the party with a challenging attitude,
but it has also weakened its image before the eyes of the electorate (an
electorate that does not seem to accept the political line imposed by the
party’s leaders). In fact, the different opinion polls indicate that most
Salvadorans disapprove of the performance of the present directive board.
Not even the changes in the attitude of Handal or his pictures shaking hands
with Saca in the gardens of the presidential house seem to calm things down
a bit. On the contrary, the images actually increased the discredit of the
leader from FMLN, a leader that many people call stubborn, a person willing
to block the political possibilities of his party as long as he is able to
impose his personal ambitions and satisfy his enormous ego.
To have an idea about the political lethargy in which the FMLN lives, it is
enough to observe how the official party has managed to occupy the spot
light of the national debate. Since the presidential inauguration, Saca has
taken all the applauses home. He has calmed down the political debate with a
good doses of “communication”, taking advantage of the mistakes made by his
opponent. The fourth president of ARENA keeps presenting himself as a
negotiator with a close attitude towards the Salvadoran population and their
problems in order to turn off and avoid any political confrontations with
the adversaries of the left wing.
There are enough elements to say, in the line of a thesis created by the
right wing, that the FMLN is loosing its grip because of Saca. If things
keep going in the same direction, ARENA will defeat the FMLN during the next
municipal and legislative elections, in 2006. In fact, the new president
seems to have decided to fight a battle against the left wing. He speaks
openly about the social issues and presents an eager speech aimed to seduce
the Salvadoran population. Since the presidential inauguration, he has
multiplied the number of announcements and visits to the “social
construction works”, as a sample of his wish to be close to the less
fortunate.
If this discourse is combined with the evident internal problems of the left
wing it is possible to understand the perplexity of its followers. In fact,
Saca seems to eagerly want to be successful in the field where others have
failed. In addition, he continuously speaks about negotiation, and sets an
example of respect and the will to speak with the opposition.
It is too early to measure the specific results of the different proposals
made by Saca. However, what has been discussed in this article is enough to
have an idea about the present situation of the left wing party. If in a
system of parties the behavior of the different actors has consequences over
the life of others, it is correct to think that what presently happens with
ARENA, this sensation of a new leadership, has to question the members of
the FMLN in order to make them adjust their way of understanding politics.
It is precisely this capacity to react what is being questioned. At least an
important sector of the left wing is strongly questioning the behavior of
the present leaders in this conjunction. This article will try to answer to
the questions about what is the right pathway for the FMLN inside its
internal political situation, considering its importance as a political
party willing to win the elections.
What is the renovation pathway that the FMLN should follow?
With the crisis of the left wing party, it is logical to wonder what is the
way to avoid the problem and favor the renovation of this organization.
Because of the expulsion of several of the historical leaders of the FMLN,
this party is still the most important sector of the opposition, in spite of
the defections of several emblematic figures. At the same time, even if this
party has been favored by the irrelevance of the rest of the opposition, it
is important to pay attention to the fact that it has not been able to be
present in the Executive power. In this sense, the electoral confrontation
strategy with the official party has been unsuccessful.
Some people believe that the best way to resolve for once and for all the
permanent crisis inside the FMLN is to have a serious discussion to
restructure the identity of this organization in the new context of the
post-war. Since the end of the civil war, the FMLN has not discussed its
political objectives and its identity. In addition, many of the defections
seem to have a common denominator: a different political perspective about
what the party should be in the post-war context. That is why those who are
not happy with the party are usually called “renovators”, the opposition of
a leadership that is stuck in time.
There are serious arguments that invite to discuss several aspects in order
to define the identity of the party in this new context of the national life.
It would be a win –win deal for both the FMLN and El Salvador. To present a
strong and a credible option before ARENA would inject a dose of dynamism to
the political life, and this would favor the democratic process. With this,
the conditions for a true political competition would be created. Without a
doubt, the economic elite that exclusively supports the governmental party
would have to examine its strategy, as long as the FMLN stops giving any
more reasons to be called “extremist” and “an institution against the system”.
The dominant vision of the situation at the FMLN, even if it is interesting,
has to be completed with another analysis, probably a more realistic one for
the renovation of the FMLN. The system of parties has to be examined,
because all the flaws of this system seem to rest on the shoulders of the
members of the FMLN. This party has its share of responsibilities because of
the apathy that it awakens inside the political life. However, the rest of
the politicians are also responsible for this negative image, they are the
accomplices of the failure of the system of parties.
On the other hand, it seems difficult to trust that there will actually be a
discussion about the ideological principles of the FMLN, as a mechanism to
resolve their internal problems. Even if such a debate were actually held,
it would only show the internal differences between the fractions. In
addition, a party is a living organism, a dynamic organism that cannot
pretend to resolve for once and for all the questions about its identity.
This sort of matter has to be constantly confronting itself with the
environment, particularly during the special moments that are created with
the electoral events for the democratic life of the country. In this sense,
to resolve the question about the ideology and the projects, that is, the
identity of the party in this sort of debate, is an exercise that has to be
constantly performed in the context of the confrontation between the
organization and its environment.
It is important to identify what are the actual elements that the
organization has to assure a permanent process of renovation that includes
the leaders and their political strategies. From this perspective, the FMLN
is, without a doubt, the most modern party of the country. Its statutes have
a democratic mechanism to face the complex problem of its renovation. All of
the militants are supposed to count with the same opportunities to be heard
and present their internal renovation proposals, and their strategies to
face the external political adversaries.
As it usually happens in any democratic country, this mechanism is expected
to allow all of the citizens to actively participate in the political life,
and enable them to present their own interpretations of the national reality.
In the moments of crisis, for instance, different options are presented to
show their different perspectives about reality. In the end, the citizenry
chooses the best and the most coherent option of the diagnosis. The same
thing is expected to happen with the FMLN, since its statutes speak about an
internal democracy in the widest sense of the word.
Nevertheless, this ideal of democracy has not come true yet. The FMLN still
has leaders with an authoritarian attitude. A debate has to be discussed at
this point. As long as the party’s democratic mechanisms work, the present
problems will be resolved. Otherwise, the unhappy militants will keep
walking away from the party, and they will remain as an easy target for the
electoral strategy designed by ARENA.
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