1931 Salvadoran general election

General elections were held in El Salvador on 11 and 13 January 1931. Arturo Araujo won the presidential elections running on a Labor PartyNational Republican Party ticket.

1931 Salvadoran general election

11 and 13 January 1931
Registered392,383
Presidential election
← 1927
1935 →
 
Candidate Arturo Araujo Alberto Gómez Zárate
Party PLS PZ
Popular vote 106,777 64,280
Percentage 46.65% 28.09%

 
Candidate Enrique Córdova Antonio Claramount Lucero
Party PDN PPF
Popular vote 34,499 18,399
Percentage 15.07% 8.04%

President before election

Pío Romero Bosque
PND

Elected President

Arturo Araujo
PL

Background

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Previous elections had usually seen the incumbents choosing their successors, allowing the oligarchy perpetual control of the country's politics. However, on this occasion Pío Romero Bosque did not designate a successor resulting in a wide variety of candidates.[1]

Whilst Arajuo obtained a plurality of the votes, he had failed to secure a majority.[2] However, the newly elected Assembly consisted largely of Arajuo supporters, and when convenened on 12 February, allowed him to assume the presidency.[3] However, Araujo, a landowner with progressive ideals, had the misfortune of taking office in the midst of massive labor and student strikes. Martial law was declared, and soon the military, upset about not having received its pay and supported by the oligarchy, which distrusted Araujo, easily overthrew his government after nine months.[4]

Results

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President

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Arturo AraujoSalvadoran Laborist PartyNational Republican Party106,77746.65
Alberto Gómez ZárateZaratista Party64,28028.09
Enrique CórdovaNational Development Party34,49915.07
Antonio Claramount LuceroProgressive Fraternal Party18,3998.04
Miguel Tomás MolinaConstitutional Party4,9112.15
Total228,866100.00
Registered voters/turnout392,383
Source: Nohlen

References

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  1. ^ Grieb, Kenneth J (1971) "The United States and the rise of General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez" Journal of Latin American Studies 3, 2 p152
  2. ^ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook Vol. 1 Oxford University Press, p287
  3. ^ Grieb, p153
  4. ^ Bland, Gary "Assessing the transition to democracy" in Tulchin, Joseph S. with Gary Bland (1992) Is there a transition to democracy in El Salvador? Boulder: Westview Press, p 166

Bibliography

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  • Alvarenga Venutolo, Patricia (1996) Cultura y etica de la violencia San José: EDUCA
  • Anderson, Thomas P. (1971) Matanza: El Salvador's communist revolt of 1932 Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press
  • Larde y Larín, Jorge (1958) Guía Histórica de El Salvador San Salvador: Ministerio de Culture
  • Political Handbook of the world 1931 New York, 1932.
  • Vidal, Manuel (1970) Nociones de historia de Centro América San Salvador: Ministerio de Educación. Ninth edition