El Salvador Approves Law Removing Limits On Presidential Re-Election

MEXICO CITY, Aug 1 (Bernama-dpa) -- El Salvador's parliament approved a constitutional reform lifting a ban on presidents running for re-election and extending the presidential term from five to six years on Thursday, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

The measure was passed by 57 lawmakers from President Nayib Bukele's ruling Nuevas Ideas party in a fast-tracked vote. Only three opposition members voted against it. 

A second vote is required in the next session, but approval is considered certain.

"Thank you for making history," said Legislative Assembly President Ernesto Castro in a post on social media platform X. Opposition lawmaker Marcela Villatoro countered: "Today, democracy died."

The reform also abolishes presidential run-offs and ends the current presidential term on June 1, 2027 – two years earlier than previously scheduled, to align presidential, parliamentary, and municipal elections.

Bukele, 44, was re-elected in 2024 with around 85 per cent of the vote, despite a constitutional ban on consecutive terms, after pro-government judges in the country's top court had cleared the way for his candidacy.

In office since 2019, Bukele has overseen a sweeping crackdown on criminal gangs under a state of emergency, which has been in effect since 2022. Activists, however, have raised concerns over arbitrary detentions and serious human rights violations.

At one point, Bukele referred to himself jokingly as the "world's coolest dictator."

--BERNAMA-dpa