The Political Commission of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador issued this Tuesday favorable opinion to ratify a reform to the Constitutionwith the objective of creating a special electoral district for Salvadorans residing abroad. The advance was supported by the majority of the deputies present.
The process, which involves the modification of articles 79 and 208 of the Constitution of the Republicwas promoted by the parliamentary group New Ideas and accompanied by officials such as the vice minister of Foreign Affairs, Adriana Mira; the director of the National Registry of Natural Persons (RNPN), Fernando Velasco; and the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Roxana Soriano.
The officials expressed their support for the proposal and highlighted the positive impact of the reform for the diaspora and the nonpartisanization of the TSE in the last meeting on Monday.
The initiative seeks to ensure that Salvadorans abroad have direct representation in the Legislative Assembly. Raul Chamaguadeputy of New Ideasassured that the reform “enables or returns to one hundred percent a right that every Salvadoran citizen has,” and stressed that the measure responds to the constitutional mandate of guaranteeing the right to vote under equal conditions.
Chamagua insisted that the change does not respond to partisan interests, but rather to the obligation to correct a historical omission regarding the political rights of the diaspora.
The deputy Marcela Villatoroof SANDexpressed his support for the idea of the constituency for Salvadorans abroad, although he maintained reservations about the lack of clarity regarding the secondary law that will regulate the implementation. Villatoro indicated that the political balance and representation of the departments must be considered in the upcoming reforms, and requested that the opposition have the opportunity to make substantive observations when the specific regulations are discussed.
In the session, the legislators also discussed the proposal to reform article 208 of the Constitution to advance the non-partisanship of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Official deputies defended this measure as a way to strengthen institutional independence, while the opposition demanded greater transparency in procedures and the inclusion of all voices in the debate.
He president of the Political Commission, Ernesto Castrostressed that the procedure has been developed in accordance with the deadlines and constitutional norms, and that all factions have had the opportunity to express their positions. He recalled that the request to create a constituency for the diaspora was presented by the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, the previous week, and that the commission summoned officials from the institutions involved to gather technical and legal input before issuing the favorable opinion.
The reform will be transferred to the legislative plenary session for discussion and possible final approval, in accordance with the procedure established in article 248 of the Constitution. If the opinion receives the support of the majority of the 60 deputies, the Salvadorans abroad may elect their own representatives in future legislative elections. The process will continue with the study and eventual reform of the Electoral Code and the Political Parties Lawwhere the implementation details will be defined.
“Democracy in our country is strengthened when citizens, including our compatriots outside the territory, can elect their representatives”Chamagua also highlighted during the session. The debate revealed discrepancies about the procedures and scope of the reform, but also the transversal agreement regarding the right of the diaspora to participate fully in Salvadoran political life.
It is worth mentioning that with the Special Law for the Exercise of Suffrage Abroad, in 2022, residents abroad managed to participate massively in the 2024 elections, but those who carried out the remote Internet voting modality were automatically assigned to deputies from the department of San Salvador and not to those from their place of origin. For the 2027 elections, compatriots who have the address of their residence abroad on their Unique Identity Document (DUI) will be able to vote directly for their representative.
