El Salvador's electoral tribunal under ruling party's control for Bukele's re-election bid

El Salvador's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) appears to be fully controlled by the ruling Nuevas Ideas party, raising significant concerns about the fairness of the upcoming 2027 presidential elections. President Nayib Bukele is seeking an unprecedented third term, a move widely considered unconstitutional.

Roxana Soriano de Viaud, the TSE president, has consolidated power, reserving the top floor of the tribunal for herself and reportedly delegating critical electoral functions to individuals with close ties to the government. Units responsible for voter registration, election organization, ballot distribution, and vote counting have allegedly been placed under the leadership of employees loyal to Soriano and the presidential administration.

Soriano's appointment to the TSE presidency followed her tenure leading other state institutions, including the Institute for Access to Public Information and the Republic's Court of Accounts. Her political and familial connections have drawn scrutiny, as she is married to a director at the Civil Aviation Authority and her family is linked to high-ranking government officials, including the Minister of Housing and the President of the Legislative Assembly.

While Soriano's appointment was a key step, the full control of the TSE was reportedly solidified through the votes of two magistrates proposed by the Supreme Court of Justice and one from the ARENA party. The magistrate proposed by the FMLN party has not publicly opposed the tribunal's decisions, leaving the electoral arbiter under the apparent dominance of the ruling party.