Constitutional Amendment in El Salvador: Unlimited Re-election for the President Approved
In El Salvador, constitutional amendments extending the presidential term from 5 to 6 years and allowing unlimited re-election have been approved by the National Assembly.
Kokcha News Agency: The National Assembly of El Salvador has approved constitutional amendments that extend the presidential term from 5 to 6 years and allow for unlimited re-election. The amendments were passed with 57 votes in favor and 3 against, supported by the ruling party, New Ideas, which holds a majority in parliament and is led by current President Nayib Bukele.
The amendments, proposed by New Ideas Party legislator Ana Figueroa, include changes to five articles of the constitution, one of which eliminates the second round of presidential elections.
The opposition has strongly criticized the changes. Marcela Villatoro, a legislator from the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), described the amendments as “the death of democracy in El Salvador.” In her speech, she argued that “unlimited re-election leads to the concentration of power, corruption, and nepotism, weakening democracy and political participation.”
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Assembly Suecy Callejas defended the amendments, stating, “Power has returned to its rightful owner, the Salvadoran people.” Legislator Figueroa also supported the changes, saying, “Mayors and legislators already had the right to re-election. The only position deprived of this right until now was the presidency.”
