In a historic move, the Salvadoran territory has been restructured with the approval of the Special Law for Municipal Restructuring, which was passed last night by the Legislative Assembly upon the request of President Nayib Bukele.
President Bukele described the reform as «historic» and took to Twitter to express his gratitude and anticipation for the Assembly’s vote. Members of Nuevas Ideas, GANA, PCN, and PDC voted in favor of the reform, paving the way for the new political-administrative division.
During his address to the nation on June 1st, marking his fourth year in office, President Bukele announced his proposal to reduce the number of municipalities from 262 to 44 across the 14 departments of El Salvador.
Members of Nuevas Ideas highlighted that the territorial reordering will enable neglected areas to receive much-needed projects and development, addressing historical disparities.
Ernesto Castro, President of the Assembly, emphasized that one of the key considerations during the discussion of the government’s initiative was that the reorganization would result in more resources being allocated to local projects for the benefit of the residents.
Castro further explained that the new reordering will take effect on May 1st, 2024. Additionally, a temporary decree was approved within the law to allow the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to make any necessary changes regarding voting procedures or the composition of municipal councils.
Christian Guevara, leader of the cyan fraction, reassured the population that they will not have to change their Unique Identification Document (DUI), which can continue to be used as usual. He dismissed claims made by the opposition, stating that the need to replace the DUI only arises when it expires.
According to the special law, the municipal council will decide which of its districts will host the municipal government, and they will have the option to utilize existing infrastructure rather than constructing new buildings.
Opposition lawmakers expressed their dissent and criticized the territorial reordering, which now includes 262 districts within the 44 municipalities.
Political analyst Óscar MartÃnez Peñate emphasized that the municipal reorganization, along with the fight against corruption and the elimination of bureaucracy, lays the foundation for a country with «greater development opportunities.»
He highlighted that the steps taken by the government of Nayib Bukele represent a «modernization of the State» that will better foster economic growth and social-territorial development.
MartÃnez further pointed out that the new legislation eliminates the imbalance that existed between low tax revenues at the local government level and the large portion of funds allocated to municipal employee salaries. He provided examples of districts (formerly municipalities) with populations as low as 1,000, where mayors were earning more than the number of people they governed.
The law will come into effect eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette, and the reorganization will take effect from May 1st, 2024. The TSE will notify political parties of the number of members to be included in municipal councils.
Noel Orellana, an electoral magistrate, clarified in a radio interview that despite the new laws and reforms aimed at reducing the number of municipalities and lawmakers from 84 to 60, the same polling centers used in previous years will be maintained for the February and March 2024 elections.
«There will be no changes to the 1,595 polling centers. If a person has not changed their address, they will vote at the same polling center, in the same jurisdiction, in the same canton, at the same place where they have traditionally voted,» reiterated Orellana. The 8,821 polling stations will also remain unchanged.
New distribution: (As published by Diario El Salvador)
