President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has officially registered for reelection in the upcoming contest, as announced by his party on Monday. Despite facing opposition from legal experts and political figures who argue that the country’s constitution prohibits his candidacy, Bukele’s New Ideas party took to Twitter to declare his registration, along with that of Vice President Félix Ulloa.
While Bukele enjoys popularity within El Salvador, his actions have drawn international scrutiny. Back in September, he declared his intention to seek a second five-year term. This decision followed a ruling in 2021 by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, composed of Bukele’s congressional allies, which deemed his reelection candidacy permissible and instructed the electoral court to accept it.
Constitutional lawyers, however, maintain that Bukele’s bid violates multiple articles of the constitution, including Article 154, which explicitly states that the presidential term lasts five years, starting and ending on June 1, and prohibits the incumbent president from continuing in office even for a single additional day.
