Particle.news

Download on the App Store

El Salvador Assembly Proposes Unlimited Six-Year Presidential Terms

By lengthening terms to six years, removing the runoff vote, shifting the next election to 2027, New Ideas seeks to cement Bukele’s power with synchronized voting cycles.

Overview

  • Lawmakers from Bukele’s New Ideas party submitted amendments on August 1 to allow indefinite presidential reelection, extend terms to six years and eliminate the second-round vote.
  • The proposals would reset Bukele’s current mandate to end on June 1, 2027, bringing presidential and legislative contests onto the same schedule.
  • New Ideas holds a supermajority in the National Assembly and benefits from a Supreme Court packed with Bukele allies, ensuring swift approval of the package.
  • Bukele’s soaring approval ratings rest on a hard-line anti-gang crackdown and a state of emergency that led to mass arrests, fueling public backing for stronger executive authority.
  • Opposition figures and rights groups warn the overhaul risks undermining democratic checks and balances by entrenching presidential power and narrowing electoral competition.