The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and The Republic of Yemen Cosponsored by The United Nations Development Programme and The Government of Japan In Partnership with the Governments of: The Netherlands The United Kingdom The United States And the: Canadian International Development Agency Friedrich Ebert Stiftung International Labour Organization Irish Aid National Endowment for Democracy United States Agency for International Development Westminster Foundation for Democracy World Bank		El Salvador Country Summary english - french - spanish El Salvador is a democratic republic governed by a president and an 84-member unicameral Legislative Assembly. Jose Napoleon Duarte became the first freely elected president in more than 50 years in 1984, after decades of authoritarian government and military rule. In 1989, power passed peacefully from the freely elected civilian leader of one party to another for the first time in El Salvador's history. Economic and Social Indicators Population: GNP: Per Capita GNP: Growth Rate: Illiteracy Rate: : Life Expectancy: 6 million $10.7 billion $1810 0.9% 27%-males 30%-females 66-males 72-females The World Bank. World Development Report. Oxford Union Press,1999 Twelve years of civil war between four different governments and guerillas ended in 1992, with the inception of the previously militant Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) as a political party. The first post-war set of elections at the presidential, legislative and municipal levels were held in March of 1994, and were considered successful. Challenges to democracy include declining voter turnout, as evidenced by recent presidential elections of March 1999, where just over 40 percent of the country's registered voters participated. Political leaders must also contend with a high crime rate and serving the needs of a large proportion of the population living at the poverty line. Fiscal reforms have been the biggest challenge for the Salvadoran government. The civil war had a devastating effect on the country's economy, and the 1992 peace accords committed the government to heavy expenditures for transition programs and social services. Since attacks on economic targets ended in 1992, improved investor confidence has led to increased private investment. Currently, the Salvadoran economy benefits from a commitment to free markets and careful fiscal management. [ Introduction ] [ Declaration ] [ Conference Transcripts ] [ Discussion Board ] [ Forum Home ] [ NDI Home ]