El Salvador

Legislative Assembly

Political system: Presidential system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 04 Feb 2024
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: No information available
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: 28 Feb 2027
Number of seats at stake: 60
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election: 11

Notes: Ten parties and one coalition.

Results

About the election: President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party won 90% of the 60 seats in the Legislative Assembly (see note 1). The National Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), which had alternately governed the country one after the other until 2021, came a distant second and third. In the presidential elections held in parallel with the parliamentary polls, Mr. Bukele was re-elected with over 80% of the votes (see note 2).

President Bukele, who was elected in 2021 promising to tackle rampant gang violence, imposed a state of emergency in March 2022 and cracked down on gangs. That has significantly reduced homicide rates in El Salvador, a country of 6.3 million inhabitants, which was one of the world's most dangerous places. Human rights organizations criticized the crackdown, stating that thousands of detainees are innocent, and have no connection to criminal organizations.

Note 1:

In accordance with Decree No. 755, adopted by the Legislative Assembly in June 2023, the statutory number of members has decreased from 84 to 60. The new statutory number was applied for the first time at the 2024 elections.

Note 2:

The Constitution prohibits consecutive terms for the presidency. In September 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that an incumbent president would be able to run again for the presidency if he/she left their post six months prior to the start of the new presidential term. In September 2022, President Bukele announced that he would seek a second term in 2024.

On 28 October 2023, President Bukele registered his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. He proposed Ms. Claudia Juana Rodríguez de Guevara, his private secretary, as interim president. She became the first woman in El Salvador to assume the presidency. Her term lasts until 31 May 2024. On 30 November 2023, the Legislative Assembly granted President Bukele a leave of absence.
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 90.0%
Alternation of power after elections: No

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
New Ideas (N)	54
National Coalition Party (PCN)	2
National Republican Alliance (ARENA)	2
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	1
Vamos	1

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 41
Number of women elected: 19
Percentage of women elected: 31.7%
Women Directly Elected: 19
Sources: Legislative Assembly (30.05.2024)
https://divulgacion.tse.gob.sv/resultados/dashboard-index-3
https://www.tse.gob.sv/elecciones-2024/inicio
https://www.asamblea.gob.sv/asamblea/diputados
https://www.as-coa.org
https://www.reuters.com/
https://english.elpais.com

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 41
Total number of women after the election: 19
Percentage of women after the election: 31.7%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 01 May 2024

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Ernesto Alfredo Castro Aldana (Male)
Date of birth: 26 May 1971
Political party: New Ideas (N)
Date of election: 01 May 2024