Executive branch: chief of state : President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 20 March 1994, with a run-off election held 24 April 1994 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: Armando CALDERON Sol elected president; percent of vote - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 49.03%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 24.09%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 16.39%, other 10.49%; because no candidate received a majority, a run-off election was held and the results were as follows - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 68.35%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 31.65%
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 16 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - ARENA 35.4%, FMLN 34.3%, PCN 8.1%, PDC 7.9%, CD 3.8%, PRSC 3.4%, PLD 3.2%, MU 2.1%, PD 1.0%, other 0.8%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 27, PCN 11, PDC 9, PRSC 3, CD 2, PLD 2, MU 1, PD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance or ARENA
[Gloria SALGUERO Gross, president]; Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front or FMLN [Salvador SANCHEZ Ceren (aka Leonel
GONZALEZ), general coordinator]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC
[Ronal UMANA, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN
[Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD
[Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Unity Movement Party or MU [Jorge
MARTINEZ Menendez, president]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio
Waldo SALGADO, founder]; Democratic Party or PD (breakaway from FMLN)
[Joaquin VILLALOBOS, founder, Ana Guadalupe MARTINEZ, leader]; Social
Christian Renovation Party or PRSC (breakaway from PDC) [Abraham
RODRIGUEZ, founder]
Political pressure groups and leaders: labor organizations -
Salvadoran Communal Union or UCS (peasant association); General
Confederation of Workers or CGT (moderate); United Workers Front or
FUT; business organizations - Productive Alliance or AP
(conservative); National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen or
FENAPES (conservative)
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, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ana Cristina SOL chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671, 9672 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Anne PATTERSON embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Station Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 278-4444 FAX : [503] 278-6011
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
Economy