Nayib Bukele wants to take a six-month leave of absence to circumvent the constitutional ban on direct re-election.
The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, wants to take a six-month leave of absence so he can run for re-election despite the constitutional ban. The corresponding motion was submitted to parliament, as announced by the National Assembly on Friday evening (local time). With time running out, Bukele wants to circumvent the constitutional prohibition on direct re-election. Critics speak of a manipulation of the Basic Law.
Two years ago, pro-government constitutional judges allowed Bukele to run again. The only requirement is a six-month break between terms.
El Salvador faces a wave of violence
After approving the break, the parliament controlled by the ruling party must now appoint an interim president for the remainder of the term. The presidential election is on February 4th. As a candidate for the Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas) party, the 42-year-old conservative Bukele leads all polls by a wide margin. He has governed the country with six million inhabitants since 2019. His tough actions against criminal gangs were well received by the population.
If Bukele wins the presidential election as expected, his second five-year term is scheduled to begin on June 1 – exactly after his leave ends. A state of emergency has been in force in El Salvador since March 2022 in response to a wave of violence. In the fight against gangs, several basic rights have been suspended. More than 70,000 suspected gang members were arrested. Activists denounce arbitrary detentions and other human rights violations. (APA)