The amendment, backed by 57 of the 60 lawmakers in the Legislative Assembly dominated by Bukele’s ruling party, transfers full authority for appointing the five magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Court to Congress.

Under the previous system, three magistrates were nominated by the political parties that received the most votes in the last election, while the remaining two were chosen by the Supreme Court of Justice.The new rules remove that structure, giving the Legislative Assembly sole power over the appointments.

Legislative Assembly President Ernesto Castro defended the reform, saying it would eliminate partisan influence over the electoral authority.“No more party quotas.

No more personal agendas or interests in the highest electoral authority,” Castro wrote on X.Opposition groups and civil society organizations criticized the measure, arguing it would allow Bukele’s government to consolidate control over the body responsible for overseeing elections.

Non-governmental organization Accion Ciudadana said the changes were “designed so that the ruling party can fully control the electoral body.”Bukele, 44, has governed El Salvador since 2019 and won re-election in 2024 with 85% of the vote.

His administration has maintained exceptionally high approval ratings, largely driven by an aggressive anti-gang security strategy, but has also faced growing criticism from rights groups and opposition leaders over institutional weakening and concentration of power.Since taking office, Bukele’s government has overseen multiple constitutional reforms, including last year’s abolition of presidential term limits, clearing the path for him to run again in elections scheduled for February 2027.

Critics have described the country’s political direction as increasingly authoritarian, while Bukele has defended the changes as necessary to modernize governance and deliver security and stability.The five current magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Court were appointed in 2024 for five-year terms and are expected to oversee the upcoming general elections.

The latest reform adds to broader debate over democratic checks and balances in El Salvador as Bukele continues to tighten control over the judiciary, legislature and electoral institutions.

The proposed law, which sought to increase the size of the lower house by about 55% to 850 seats ahead of the 2029 general elections, fell short of the required two-thirds majority, with 298 lawmakers voting in favor and 230 against in the Lok Sabha.

The government had linked the expansion to the implementation of women’s reservation, arguing that redrawing constituency boundaries based on updated population data was necessary to ensure equitable representation. Seats in parliament have remained frozen since the 1971 census, despite significant demographic changes.

Opposition parties supported the principle of reserving seats for women but opposed tying it to a nationwide delimitation exercise, alleging the move could be used to alter electoral dynamics in favor of the ruling party.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the bill shortly after the vote, calling it an “unconstitutional trick” that undermined the Constitution under the guise of advancing women’s representation.The government rejected those claims, maintaining that the proposal was essential for modernizing India’s electoral framework.

Interior Minister Amit Shah defended the bill in parliament, warning that blocking it would disappoint women across the country and vowing continued efforts to secure legislative backing for gender quotas.

A law passed in 2023 had already approved reserving one-third of parliamentary seats for women, but its implementation was contingent on the completion of the next census and subsequent constituency redrawing, a process still underway and expected to delay enforcement beyond the next election cycle.

Women currently account for about 14% of members in the lower house and 17% in the upper house, with representation in state legislatures averaging around 10%, according to official data.

The failure of the bill highlights ongoing political divisions over electoral reforms and gender representation, as well as the challenges of securing broad consensus for constitutional amendments in India’s increasingly polarized parliament.

Addressing the lower house, Modi said the measures, which include increasing the number of legislators, extending quotas for women to state assemblies and redrawing constituency boundaries, would move India in a “new direction.” He said greater representation of women would bring “new strength, fresh thinking, and a greater sense of sensitivity” to governance.

The government said the proposed boundary changes reflect population shifts since constituencies were last fixed following the 1971 census, arguing the reforms are necessary to align representation with demographic realities.

The proposals come from the ruling National Democratic Alliance, which does not hold the two-thirds majority required to pass constitutional amendments in both houses of parliament, and is seeking support from smaller parties and opposition groups ahead of a vote expected this week.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, said they support the principle of women’s reservation but accused the government of attempting to use constituency redrawing to its political advantage. They called for immediate implementation of the quota without linking it to broader structural changes.

The bills propose increasing the strength of the lower house by about 55% to around 850 members, alongside proportional expansion in state legislatures, by the next general election scheduled for 2029.They also aim to operationalise the one-third reservation for women in both parliament and state assemblies by that timeline.

The quota was approved in legislation passed in 2023 but tied to a future census, delaying its implementation beyond the next election cycle.The proposed changes require ratification by at least half of India’s state legislatures before becoming law.

India currently does not reserve seats for women in parliament, despite women comprising nearly half of the country’s 968 million voters.

Women account for about 14% of members in the lower house and 17% in the upper house, while representation in state legislatures stands at roughly 10%.