Legislative Assembly of El Salvador

Legislative Assembly of El Salvador is the unicameral National Legislature of El Salvador, consisting of 84 deputies who are elected by proportional representation for a term of three years. The assembly is headed by a president, currently Ernesto Castro, who is elected by the deputies at the start of each legislative session. The assembly is responsible for passing laws, approving the budget, and exercising parliamentary control over the government, including the president and the cabinet. The assembly also has the power to appoint and remove supreme court judges, as well as the attorney general and the comptroller general.

● History

The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has its roots in the constitution of 1824, which established a bicameral legislature consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a senate. However, the assembly has undergone several transformations over the years, including a period of military dictatorship from 1979 to 1982, during which the assembly was dissolved. The current unicameral assembly was established by the constitution of 1983, which was drafted by a constituent assembly composed of Christian Democrats, Nationalist Republicans, and other parties, including the FMLN. The assembly has played a crucial role in the country's transition to democracy, including the negotiation of the Chapultepec Peace Accords in 1992, which ended the civil war and established a framework for peace and reconciliation.

● Composition

The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador is composed of 84 deputies who are elected by proportional representation for a term of three years. The deputies are elected from 14 electoral districts, each of which corresponds to a department of the country. The assembly is headed by a president, who is elected by the deputies at the start of each legislative session. The president is assisted by a vice president and a secretary, who are also elected by the deputies. The assembly also has several committees, including the committee on foreign affairs, the committee on finance, and the committee on human rights, which are composed of deputies from different parties, including the ARENA, the FMLN, and the GANA.

● Powers and Functions

The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has several powers and functions, including the power to pass laws, approve the budget, and exercise parliamentary control over the government. The assembly also has the power to appoint and remove supreme court judges, as well as the attorney general and the comptroller general. In addition, the assembly has the power to conduct investigations and hold hearings on matters of public interest, including corruption and human rights abuses. The assembly also plays a crucial role in the country's foreign policy, including the approval of treaties and international agreements, such as the CAFTA and the Association Agreement with the European Union.

● Election Process

The election process for the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador is established by the electoral code, which was approved by the assembly in 2013. The code establishes a system of proportional representation, in which voters elect deputies from a list of candidates presented by each party. The parties are required to present a list of candidates that includes at least 30% of women, as established by the law on equality and equity. The elections are supervised by the supreme electoral tribunal, which is responsible for ensuring the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. The tribunal is composed of five members, who are appointed by the assembly and the supreme court.

● Current Composition

The current composition of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador is the result of the 2018 legislative election, in which the New Ideas party, led by Nayib Bukele, won a majority of seats. The assembly is currently composed of 56 deputies from the New Ideas party, 19 deputies from the ARENA party, 5 deputies from the FMLN party, and 4 deputies from the GANA party. The assembly is headed by Ernesto Castro, who was elected president by the deputies at the start of the current legislative session. The assembly has several committees, including the committee on foreign affairs, which is chaired by Anabel Belloso, and the committee on finance, which is chaired by Ricardo Velásquez Parker.