The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, welcomed the approval on the eve of a law that will allow the diaspora of this Central American nation to exercise suffrage starting with the 2024 presidential elections.
“This is a historic step on the road to providing the rights that have always been denied to our brothers abroad. Each election must serve as a basis for improving the next, not the other way around. Now, it will no longer be difficult or cumbersome, let our brothers vote,” Bukele said on the social network Twitter.
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The Legislative Assembly (parliament) approved on October 18 at night with 66 votes in favor the Special Law for the Exercise of Suffrage Abroad, which will allow in-person and remote electronic voting for Salvadorans residing abroad, with a view to the 2024 elections.
The new regulation approved by the current legislature, controlled by the ruling parties, repeals a previous law on external voting, and divides Salvadoran society between detractors and enthusiasts.
From the political opposition, questions arise about the alleged lack of scrutiny of electronic voting, with the possibility of fraud due to the lack of registration and scrutiny, while Bukele’s supporters insist on the inclusiveness of the process, which guarantees rights long denied to the so-called “distant brothers.”
Article 4 of the new law stipulates that Salvadorans with a Unique Identity Document (DUI) domiciled abroad may only vote for deputies from San Salvador, and may not do so for municipal councils or candidates for the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).
The new law also authorizes the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to bypass the Public Administration Procurement and Contracting Law in the purchases it will make to guarantee the vote abroad, and directs it to hire third parties to take care of the electronic system.
According to official estimates, some 2 million Salvadorans live abroad, mainly in the United States, and their remittances constitute one of the main sources of income in the Central American nation.
With information from Sputnik