The Parliament of El Salvador calls for the dismissal of the constitutional judges of the Supreme Court of Justice

The first vice-president of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, Suecy Callejas, asked this Saturday the dismissal of the magistrates owners and deputies of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.

The initiative was admitted to a pay waiver vote with 64 votes of the 84 members of the Legislative Assembly, all from the ruling party.

The parties which voted to admit the initiative are those of New Ideas (NI), Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA), Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and National Consultation Party (PCN).

This is the first step taken by the new Legislative Assembly just hours after taking a stand.

The magistrates they intend to remove are the President of the Constitutional Chamber and the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), Jose Armando Pineda, and the owner magistrates Aldo Enrique Cáder, Carlos Sergio Avilés, Carlos Ernesto Sánchez and Marina by Jesús Marenco.

The initiative also includes the deputy magistrates of the said chamber.

Salvadoran President, Nayib Bukele, has repeatedly accused constitutional judges of withdrawing powers to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.

The Special Advisor on Continental Affairs to the United States National Security Council, Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, rejected this initiative of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador and posted a message on his account on the social network Twitter, in which he responded to the measure, saying: “It’s not done.”

The 84 deputies elected in the February 28 elections in El Salvador took office this Saturday in the Legislative Assembly for the period 2021-2024, during which time the ruling party will have the majority.

With this number, the allies of Bukele goes beyond the so-called “qualified majority” in Parliament which, in addition to the usual functions of passing laws, allows them to ratify loans, elect lawyers, the Attorney General and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and Court of Auditors (controller).

The leader can also approve budget debt, overcome vetoes, suspend and restore constitutional guarantees, among other powers.

MPs entered the first session of their legislature more than an hour late to elect the Installation Commission, made up of lawmakers Suecy Callejas, Eduardo Amaya and José Urbina, all from the ruling New Ideas (NI) party. suspension to consider the credentials issued by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and other documents before the election of the board of directors.

The new composition of Congress, which in the 2018-2021 legislature was an opposition majority, will allow President Bukele to rule until the end of his term without major opposition from said state body.

The president and MPs who concluded their administration on Friday have had several clashes over the past year over how to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.

Since taking office on June 1, 2019, Bukele, whom his rivals accuse of being authoritarian, failed to form alliances with Arena and the FMLN, which together controlled parliament, with 60 of the 84 seats.

In one of the most tense episodes with the outgoing Congress, February 9, 2020 Bukele entered the parliamentary chamber, flanked by soldiers armed with guns, to request a loan for his plan to fight gangs.

After almost two years in government out of a total of five, the 39-year-old president, with a frontal and familiar style, a regular Twitter user, capitalized on citizens’ dissatisfaction with traditional parties and defeated them in the Parliament of February 28. elections.

“The deputies who are about to end their term in the Legislative Assembly are leaving a legacy of a clear abandonment towards Salvadorans and a history of actions against the hope that the population had this legislation in favor of their interests was passed. , “ the presidency said in a statement Thursday.

(With information from EFE)

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