El Salvador's Constitutional Shake-Up: Unlimited Terms for Bukele?
El Salvador's National Assembly has approved constitutional amendments allowing indefinite presidential reelection and six-year presidential terms, pushed forward by President Nayib Bukele's party. This move has sparked debate about the future of democracy in the country, with critics warning of power accumulation and diminished democratic participation.
In a significant yet contentious development, El Salvador's National Assembly, dominated by President Nayib Bukele's party, approved constitutional amendments enabling indefinite presidential reelection and extending terms to six years. This comes after Bukele's recent reelection, despite a previous constitutional ban.
The New Ideas party, led by legislator Ana Figueroa, was instrumental in proposing these changes, arguing that allowing the president reelection aligns with other lawmakers' provisions. Concurrently, they propose synchronizing presidential and congressional elections by adjusting current term timelines.
While supporters believe power returns to the people, critics, including opposition member Marcela Villatoro, argue this move endangers democracy by fostering power concentration and corruption. President Bukele remains a controversial figure, simultaneously praised for his security measures yet scrutinized for his governance approach.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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