-5- AG/DEC. 37 (XXXIV-O/04) DECLARATION ON ELECTIONS IN EL SALVADOR (Adopted at the first plenary session, held on June 7, 2004) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CONSIDERING that one of the essential elements of representative democracy is access to and the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law and the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, in conformity with the provisions of the Inter-American Democratic Charter; NOTING with satisfaction that the electoral process to elect the President and Vice President of the Republic, held in El Salvador on March 21, 2004, took place in an environment of broad citizen participation in fair, legitimate, and transparent elections; and TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the report of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in El Salvador, presented to the Permanent Council on March 31, 2004, which concluded that the presidential election was a process that permitted Salvadoran citizens to express their political will freely and forcefully, decisively promoting democracy in this country and granting the new President of El Salvador a solid mandate, EXPRESSES its full satisfaction at the successful completion of the electoral process in El Salvador, whereby Mr. Elías Antonio Saca González was elected President of the Republic and Mrs. Ana Vilma Albanés de Escobar, Vice President. EXTENDS its most sincere congratulations to the people of El Salvador for the clear demonstrations of democratic culture during the elections of March 21. ENCOURAGES the Salvadoran people and political forces to observe the policy of tolerance, dialogue, and understanding offered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of El Salvador, Mr. Elías Antonio Saca González, to strengthen democratic governance and the social development of the Salvadoran people.